Kaduna: Experts, CSOs, Media, Others Brainstorm On How To Mitigate Climate Change,Insecurity

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

Climate Change and Environmental experts, interfaith Mediation Center (IMC), in collaboration with African Climate Reporters (ACR), on Friday gathered and brainstormed in a forum tagged: “January Climate Hangout’.

The Desk of Climate Change and Environment of the IMC, in collaboration with the Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Government on climate change are the main organisers of the discussion forum.

Participants, including the Media, deliberated extensively on a number of climate change related impact in Nigeria and how to mitigate the effect such as insecurity, deforestation and its devastating impact on Nigerians poor and the economy.

Earlier, in a statement, the organisers, Ibrahima Yakubu, Mr. Samson Auta, Mallam Hayatu Ashafa, Hon. Yusuf Idris (Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Government on Climate Change), explained that the event brought together key stakeholders to engage in discussions on environmental protection and climate change”.

“This monthly gathering will include scientists, environmentalists, geologists, medical professionals, environmental journalists, civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as religious and traditional leaders, all of whom are working towards climate action and environmental conservation”, it stated.

Topic of the meeting which centred on awareness creation against human activities towards desertification, was held at the IMC office on 17th January 2025, include various climate and environmental issues, with the opportunity for further dialogue on other important matters.

Mr Abel John Bassa, a criminology and security expert (Crime forensic expert and security analyst), presented a paper on climate change and insecurity, the herders/ farmers clashes amongst thing causing untold hardship.

Emphasis was concentrated mainly on need to engender stronger sensitization, awareness creation and enlightenment for the public to know the dangers and devastating effects of deforestation (cutting down trees for domestic used e.g cooking foods).

Participants were however quick to realized the dire need of alternative sources for cooking food, without which any sensitization against deforestation effort made would be fruitless one, advocating reduction of cooking gas, and kerosene availability.

Speaking, the Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Government on Climate Change, Hon. Yusuf Idris revealed the state government under Governor Uba Sani is not unaware of the challenge as the state is making efforts in providing alternative source energy for domestic used like cooking material.

In an interview, Mr. Bassa explained that, “We talk about of climate change as a result of human activities e.g bush burning emission of chemical, effect of Ozone layer, covering Sun Ray”.

He however recounted that sensitization alone can never be enough until the change of attitude, arguing that the use of awareness without alternative sources of energy would render the impact useless.
“Government attitude of talking without action or implementation. People already know about some of the effect of desertification but it makes no sense to them when there’s no alternative provided.

“If government is not happy about it effect and can’t provide alternative that the common man can afford as low as charcoal, fire wood as source of energy for cooking, awareness useless”, he stated.

Also in an interview, Hon. Yusuf Idris said Uba Sani led administration is not unaware of energy issues, saying is a global challenge.

“Energy issue is a global thing. It happening in UK, Egypt, other countries of the world where they used firewood in Egypt due to high cost of gases”, he said.

According to him, Governor Sani recently trained 500 women on uses and production of ‘Brigate” as alternative sources of cooking food which relied on agricultural waste materials that goes to dustbin.

“There are other source of cooking material, such as energy saving stove produced in Kaduna panteker”, he noted, adding that the Governor did it to reduced the devastating effect of cutting down trees for firewood and charcoal because of its environmental hazards.