Devastating events are occurring in many nations, making the effects of climate change clear and unrelenting worldwide. This is evidenced by, among other things, flooding, temperature rise, the expansion of the desert, difficulties with economic activity (agricultural), and biodiversity loss[1]. The effects are most severe in Africa, and it is likely that nothing will change—if anything, things might even grow worse. It seems unjust that the continent suffers the most from climate change given that Africa makes up the least proportion of the world’s carbon emissions[2]. Research has found that most African nations have been apathetic and negligent about the realities of the world today, whereas other nations have greatly reduced their vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change. The world has made an innovative move to lessen these impacts by steadily lowering carbon emissions and, as a result, looking into renewable and sustainable sources of energy. [3]
If vulnerabilities that accommodate climate change impacts are not strategically addressed through the technical implementation of adaptation policies, energy transition in African nations would essentially be frustrated. Nigeria serves as a good example of an African nation with developed policies to control and maybe avert these effects. However, some bottlenecks in governance and resource management have prevented the implementation of these policies. Some of these policies are;
- Nigeria energy Transition Plan
- National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CCN) 2011
- National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP) 2015;
- National Gas Policy (2017)
- National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2016;
- National Forest Policy (NFP) 2010;
- National Forestry Action Plan (NFAP) 1996;
- National Policy on Environmental 2016;
- Nigeria Agricultural Policy 2001;
- Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) 2016 – 2020;
- National Climate Change Policy and Respond Strategy (NCCPRS) 2012;
- National Policy on Drought and Desertification (NPDD) 2007;
- Great Green Wall for the Sahara And Sahel Initiative National Strategic Action Plan (GGWSAP) 2012;
- National Agricultural Resilience Framework (NARF) 2013;
- National Health Policy (2016);
- National Water Policy (2012);
- National Transport Policy (2016)
- Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (2014)
In summary, the goals of these policies are to support the growth of the nation in all strategic sectors, including the economy, governance, resource optimization, delivery of public services, and technological innovation, among others.
Granted that they depend on each other to achieve a collective goal on a significant scale, these policies can be effectively implemented to work in concert. It is crucial to note that properly implementing these policies would significantly impact the nation’s economy, governance, and political climate, as well as technology and innovation, efficient use of natural resources, and ultimately public service delivery. To this end, African countries including Nigeria must leverage the capacity of their external audit bodies – Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to monitor implementation of all policies necessary to stimulate adaptation to climate change impact on the continent with a view to ensuring that planned objectives are realized and the continent remains on the path of sustainable development.
In conclusion, the ability of a nation to manage and control the effects of climate change has had a direct or indirect impact on the nation’s growth and survival in recent years. This suggests, however, that a country’s or region’s degree of susceptibility to the effects of climate change would significantly affect (in a favorable or negative way) both its capacity to remain economically viable and its prospective propensity to transition to clean energy sources.
footnotes
[1] https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts
[2] https://www.afdb.org/en/cop25/climate-change-africa
[3] https://reliefweb.int/report/world/global-climate-risk-index-2021
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Written by:
Kolawole Kolade – Program Officer at PLSI
