President Muhammadu Buhari’s article that was recently published by the Washington Post was apt and represents a strong voice of reason not only for Nigeria or Africa, but the whole world.
It is easy to rate it appropriately as an article conveying the right message for humanity at a time the crisis in Ukraine is deflecting attention from the grim climatic disruptions that are causing despair and misery around the world.
The article has exposed the level of imbalance in some global agendas in which some countries and regions do not show sufficient commitment so long those countries or regions feel less affected by the devastating impact of climate change.
It is indeed true that the big economies are unwilling to stop or reduce their emissions that are responsible for global warming and climate change. And they are also shy of making the requisite agreed financial releases necessary to mitigate the impact of climate change, especially in developing countries.
President Muhammadu Buhari was on point when he advised the rich countries not to create the impression that the world cannot invest in its own safety against climate change.
“Don’t tell Africa that the world cannot afford the climate cost of its hydrocarbons — and then fire up coal stations whenever Europe feels an energy pinch. Don’t tell the poorest in the world that their marginal energy use will break the carbon budget-only to sign off on new domestic permits for oil and gas exploration. It gives the impression (that) your citizens have more of a right to energy than Africans,” he said.
It can be recalled that the rich countries that contributed most to the climate crisis and pledged that to spend $25 billion by 2025 to boost Africa’s efforts to adapt to climate change as the continent continues to struggle with drought, cyclones and extreme heat, as reported by Africanews.
But they have, sadly, failed to make that promise good. “Governments have repeatedly failed to meet their commitments to the $100 billion fund for climate adaptation and mitigation in the developing world — for the mess their own industries caused.”
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where COP 27 is holding, has reawaken the consciousness of Africa to demand equal input and enough action with overall sincere commitment to confronting and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change facing the world, especially the developing and poor countries with very low or no contribution to global carbon emission.
Indeed, Nigeria is not left out of the crisis. The president reminded the world that Nigerian case was not different when he said: “Part of my nation is underwater. Seasonal flooding is normal in Nigeria, but not like this. Thirty-four of the country’s 36 states have been affected. More than 1.4 million people have been displaced.” It is a verifiable fact; of which Jigawa State of northwestern Nigeria is the most affected state this year.
Nevertheless, for Africa to adopt resolutions of the conference fully enough, countries that made pledges to support developing countries must be committed and any source of survival that must left for the good, must firstly be substituted with an alternative means.
COP 27 must be a truthful rise to act collectively so as to see more meaning and right actions taken ahead of next conference in 2023.
- Jibril Salisu Na’inna is a student and pan Africanist wrote from ABU Zaria. He can be reached through:jibrilsalisunainna@gmail.com
