Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation under the auspices of the African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ), audits the climate justice efforts in Nasarawa State. The AACJ is being implemented in partnership with Oxfam in Nasarawa and Adamawa State. The climate justice audit was commissioned to ascertain the level of climate change awareness and to assess the level of effort of communities, businesses, and government in adapting and responding to a changing climate.
Through its consultants, the African Green Movement Project, GIFSEP assessed the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State in term of climate justice consciousness in communities, businesses and Local governments. Through key informants interviews, focus group discussions, questionaires and desk reviews, the consultant gathered data that provided information on the level of climate change response mechanisms in Nasarawa State at the moment.
Consequently, the report was made public to relevant stakeholders on the 31st of May, 2022 at Nasarawa Luxury Hotel, Lafia. During the presentation, the consultant presented the unique findings from the study, amongst which was the 75% respondents in the LGAs that admitted to the fact that they were not aware of any climate change desk officer at the LGAs secretariat. He highlighted that majority of the sampled communities identified the Civil Society Organizations as the most active institution in promoting climate change education and climate resilient practices. Again, the study showed that more than 50% of businesses use generators to power their businesses while 34% depend on electricity from the National grid and a meagre 12% utilize solar to power their businesses.
At the end of the presentation, GIFSEP together with the consultants and all invited stakeholders mapped out actions plans and outlined responsible parties for each action. During this session, we got the commitment of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment to resuscitate all the climate change desk offices in the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State. Furthermore, the Director of climate change in at the Ministry of Environment, assured us on establishing a new registry of all Civil Society Organisations Activities, actions and programmes on climate change in the State.
In her closing remarks, the Director, climate change department, Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment, Mrs Atinuke Chammang, she assured us on her full support in the implementation of the AACJ project in Nasarawa State.
By Farydah Ahmed