Climate change: Minister urges NASS to speed up passing of bill to address challenges

The Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ekeazor, on Wednesday, appealed to the National Assembly to speed up action on the passing into law of the bill on climate change, which has already passed second reading on the floor of the House.

Chief Ikeazor, who made this clarion call at the opening ceremony of the National Council on Environment in Abuja, said this appeal becomes imperative in order to have a legal instrument that would address the myriads of climate change actions and challenges in the country.

According to her, “ Your participation in this event is a testimony to your unwavering faith in our collective resolve to reverse all adversities in the sector and sustainably manage our environment in the face of the multiple concerns exacerbated by the novel COVID-19 pandemic.”

Speaking on the theme tagged: ‘Managing Emerging Environmental Challenges: Need for Strategic Approach to Sustainable Development in COVID 19 era and beyond,’ the minister said it was strategically chosen to underscore the realities of global health challenges occasioned by the pandemic and the need to tackle the attendant issues to ameliorate the environmental and developmental consequences that may confront the country if Nigeria fails to act now.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Abel Enitan disclosed that the meeting was previously scheduled to hold in Kano towards the end of last year, but could not due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that was why the Council had to be postponed and subsequently repackaged to accommodate the virtual option in a bid to ensure strict compliance with Covid-19 public health and safety protocols.

In a goodwill message on behalf of the Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Micheal Nnachi, called for the involvement of more Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the ministry’s activities as most of its activities are grassroots oriented that require a lot of mobilization and enlightenment.

The Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Professor Mansur Matazu appealed to the Minister and the Council to push for the support of the ratification of the National Framework for the Application of Climate Service (NFACS), as this would ensure seamless access to climate service information for the benefit of all.

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