Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, has expressed appreciation to the House of Representatives for passing the Climate Change Bill, even as she enjoined the Senate to reaffirm this position.
According to the Minister, the passage of the Bill into law would give credence and legal framework to the revised National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and the National Climate Change Programmes for Nigeria approved by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier in June this year.
It could be recalled that the 8th National Assembly passed the Bill but President Buhari did not sign it into an Act due to some contentious issues.
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But after the passage of the Bill by the House earlier this week, its sponsor, Sam Onuigbo, stated that the Joint Review Committee has painstakingly addressed all the contentious clauses cited by the President that made him to decline his assent
When signed by the president, the revised Bill would help the country to be in tune with emerging issues on climate change and design implementation measures that would mitigate climate change, promote low-carbon and develop high growth economic indices that would strengthen adaption towards a climate resilient development pathway and sustainable livelihoods in the country.
Ikeazor reiterated that the legal framework would help in the appropriation and formulation of policies and programmes on climate change to serve as benchmark for climate change planning, research, monitoring, evaluation and development.
According to her, the economic importance of the Bill to Nigeria was enormous, noting that it seeks to mobilise financial resources to support climate change actions as well as collaborate with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to develop a mechanism for carbon tax in Nigeria.
Source: Guardian
