Climate change has been identified as one of the factors responsible for the state of insecurity ravaging the country.
Niger State governor, Umar Bago, while declaring open the 2023 annual retreat of the House of Representatives Press Corps, in Minna, said climate is a source of concern to government. The retreat with the theme ” Role of the Media in mainstreaming climate change policies”, is geared towards building the capacity of parliamentary reporters in reporting issues relating to climate change.
Bago, who was represented by the Niger State deputy governor, Yakubu Garba, argued that issues relating to climate change ought to be accorded priority, because of its effect on the society. Consequently, he stressed the need to build the capacity of journalists covering with the parliament, to enable them mainstreaming climate change policies in their reports.
“In Nigeria, it (climate change) is a matter of concern to governments and experts because it is happening at a very frightening level. We have problems of flood, desertification, environmental pollution, etc, and despite efforts being made, the devastating effects of climate change are recorded yearly. Even part of the insecurity we face today is attributed to climate change, which deserves priority attention.
“Unfortunately, it seems some of these disasters are even under-reported. Perhaps, the media is not adequately equipped to handle this. I believe that as journalists who report from the parliament, where laws are enacted, it is essential that you acquire the necessary skills and tools to mainstream climate change. This can enable you to set an agenda for the legislature and indeed the executive, ” the governor stated.
The governor added that as part of efforts by the Niger State government under his leadership to tackle the effects of climate change, the state is organising a summit on Green Economy next week. According to him” The Government of Niger State under my leadership is prioritizing climate change to mitigate natural and man made disasters. This informs the decision to convoke a Green Economy Summit.
“Since my assumption of office, we have raised the ante of informing the public about preventive measures to save lives and reduce damage to property and infrastructure. We are willing to collaborate with the media to drive this advocacy as well as work out strategies to put climate change issues on the front burner. “
Earlier, chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Grace Ike, in her welcome address, said it is imperative for the journalists to be equipped with requisite knowledge to able to report on climate change related issues.
Ike said “as we are all aware, climate change has impacted our lives in different ways. This has altered our environment and ecosystem. Interestingly, the government is also coming up with various policies to mitigate the effects of climate change not just for Niger State but globally. It is therefore our responsibility as reporters to communicate and properly disseminate this information.”
