Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, an expert in climate change and development, has expressed concern over the neglect of rural communities in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in Nigeria.
Speaking at the final stakeholders’ workshop, Okereke highlighted the importance of including rural dwellers in interventions aimed at addressing climate change challenges.
The workshop focused on sharing key findings from the Locally-Led Adaptation (LLA) project, which is sponsored by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) in Berlin, Germany, in collaboration with the Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) and the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment.
Okereke emphasized that intervention efforts have been overly concentrated at the national and sub-national levels, often overlooking the vulnerabilities and resourcefulness of rural communities.
He stressed that rural dwellers possess intelligence and innovative ways of adapting to climate change, which policymakers must recognize and harness.
He also cautioned against maladaptation, a phenomenon where well-intentioned adaptation strategies inadvertently cause more problems.
Okereke quoted Dr. Grace Mbungu, Head of Climate Change Programme at APRI-Berlin, who highlighted the need for clearer assessments of adaptation practices and implementation gaps in policy documents.
Mbungu advocated for a bottom-up approach to decision-making, involving vulnerable communities and stakeholders.
This approach aims to incorporate local knowledge, ideas, and practices to effectively mainstream locally-led adaptation (LLA) into Nigeria’s adaptation plans.
Such an approach, she believes, would lead to more efficient, equitable, and impactful climate adaptation actions across the nation.
The workshop underscored the necessity of broadening the scope of climate change interventions to encompass all levels of society, especially rural communities who are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.