Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has identified climate change as one of the biggest challenges confronting Nigeria.
Bago spoke during a retreat on climate change organized by the Niger State Government for the House of Representatives Press Corps, in Minna, on Friday.
The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, also blamed some of the security challenges confronting the country on climate change.
He said, “In Nigeria, 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, among others, 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.”
He also lamented that despite the disasters caused by climate change in the country, it’s effects are being underreported by the media.
“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.
“This informs the decision to convoke a Green Economy Summit. The Government of Niger State under my leadership is prioritizing climate change to mitigate natural and manmade disasters,” he added.
The Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abubakar Suleiman, in his keynote address, called on the media to play an active role in sensitizing the public on the importance of climate change policies and their role in the sustenance of the environment.