Harmonise climate, biodiversity, pollution policies to address environmental challenges, group charges govt

THE Federal Government has been urged to harmonise policies addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution to achieve environmental goals and tackle Nigeria’s growing environmental challenges.

The call was made by Codas Environmental Enterprise, a Lagos-based environmental consultancy, in a statement issued by its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oluwafemi Sarumi, following the organisation’s 10th anniversary webinar held recently.

The webinar, themed “Resilience Plus Ambition: Tackling the Triple Planetary Crisis,” highlighted the need for Nigeria to move beyond responding to environmental disasters to preventing their causes.

The organisation said climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution were interconnected crises that required coordinated policies rather than separate interventions by government agencies.

It recommended that environmental policies be designed to address multiple challenges simultaneously, noting that a well-planned waste management project, for instance, could reduce pollution, protect public health and cut emissions.

The group also called for stronger accountability in implementing environmental commitments, urging governments and businesses to ensure that every environmental pledge had clear targets, timelines, budgets, designated officials responsible for delivery and publicly accessible progress reports.

It stressed the need to place communities, young people and workers affected by the transition to cleaner systems at the centre of environmental decision-making.

According to the statement, Nigeria faces significant environmental challenges, including air pollution, extreme heat, drought and flooding.

Citing figures from the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Codas said floods affected at least 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states in 2024, killing 1,231 people and displacing more than 1.2 million.

It also cited findings from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, which attributed more than 21,100 deaths in Nigeria in 2021 to fine particulate air pollution.

The organisation acknowledged government efforts to address climate change, including the Climate Change Act of 2021 and Nigeria’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, but warned that commitments must translate into measurable action.

It noted that implementing Nigeria’s climate plan would require substantial financing, much of which was expected to come from international sources that had yet to be secured.

The group argued that resilience, which enables communities to withstand and recover from environmental shocks, must be accompanied by measures to prevent the underlying causes of those shocks.

Codas’ strategist, Onaopemipo Salami, likened resilience to a shock absorber, saying it helped society withstand the impact of crises but should not be the ultimate goal.

He stressed the need for lasting solutions that would improve environmental conditions rather than leave communities repeatedly recovering from disasters.

Highlighting its activities over the past decade, Codas said it had trained more than 250 people, worked with over 20 organisations and hosted more than five National Youth Service Corps members and interns.

The organisation also cited its 2018 biogas pilot project with Kwil Abattoir & Farms, which converted slaughterhouse waste into clean energy, as part of its efforts to promote sustainable environmental practices.

It said it aimed to train 1,000 people and work with 100 partners in Nigeria and beyond by 2036.

It also urged policymakers, businesses, researchers and citizens to work together to address the interconnected environmental crises through coordinated policies, measurable commitments and sustained action.

“The challenge is before us. The solutions are within reach. The responsibility is shared. And the time to act is now,” said the firm’s Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Samuel Dada, in the statement.