Climate Change: SCI launches new campaign in Nigeria

As part of efforts to address climate change crisis in Nigeria, an International Organisation, Save the Children International Nigeria (SCI), has launched a campaign called ‘Generation Hope’.

The aim of the campaign, according to the organisation, is to create awareness on the impact of climate change especially among children. It is also targetted at enhancing climate actions to secure commitments from the Government of Nigeria, stakeholders and partners to invest in child-sensitive interventions.

Temperature increase, variable rainfall, rising sea levels, drought, desertification, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity are some of the challenges Nigerian as a nation is grappling with.

The adverse effect of Climate Change, could reduce potential agricultural output, leading to dire food insecurity, minimized livelihood options and increase chronic rates of malnutrition among children who are most vulnerable and worst hit.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had said that there will be 95,000 more death annually due to undernutrition in children aged five and under by 2030 and an additional 24 million undernourished children by 2050.

Speaking at the launch of the Campaign in Abuja on Thursday, SCI Acting Country Director and Director of Advocacy, Campaign, Communication and Media, Mr Amanuel Mamo noted that climate crisis is a global emergency that needs the intervention of government.

He stressed the need for pragmatic actions to create the necessary awareness towards changing the behaviour and practice that heighten the effect of climate change.

He said organisation’s child-led advocacy and campaign initiative will use different approaches to bring the messages to the grassroots on how climate change is greatly affecting the survival, learning and development of children.

Amanuel Mamo said, “Climate crisis is a child rights crisis. It is a concern for children’s survival, development, learning, protection, and other rights. We cannot talk about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals or claiming to be making progress in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child until we address the issues of climate change as it has a direct link to poverty, hunger, education, protection, access to good health among others.

“For us to achieve positive results, children must be carried along in all actions and approaches we take towards the fight against climate change even though they contribute little or nothing to the causes of climate change”.

Save the Children further called on the Nigerian government to intensify its fight against the scourge of climate change for the benefit of the future generation.

“We encourage the adoption of climate change curriculum in the Nigerian education system so that the children can be able to learn and adapt to climate changes as they grow up”, they added.

Girl Champion for Save the Children International in Cross River State, Utibe Abasi, said climate change is not just an environmental issue but a human survival issue which affects children the most.

She called on government to address this challenge and protect its future generation.

The Girl Champion said “Children are disproportionately affected by and uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Inequality and discrimination experienced by girls are likely to be amplified by the climate crisis as well as the measures that are adapted to address these. We, the children have a role to play in addressing it, and the government are bound by duty to protect children from the effect of this ticking time bomb”.

With the Generation Hope Campaign, Save the Children will be contributing towards reducing the impact of climate change in Nigeria through an ambition that will positively influence and advocate for climate policies, strategy plans, practices and financing for child-centred services, food security, early warning, and emergency preparedness in the coming years.