By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Members of the Children Parliament from Borno, Yobe, Cross River and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have urged the Federal Government to step up action to curtail the impact of climate change in Nigeria.
The children, who included refugee and children with disabilities, made the call at a news conference at the end of a two-day child hearing on climate change and inequalities organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Save the Children International (SCI) in Abuja.
Miss Confidence Abah, an advocate from Child’s Right Advocacy Club, Government Technical College Abakpa, Ogoja, Cross Rivers, said that Nigerian children were affected by economic inequality and climate change in many ways.
“These have led to slow economic growth and development, food scarcity, poverty, unemployment, insecurity with high rates of kidnapping, banditry, theft, and poor education,” she said.
She said that children appreciated some initiatives and efforts made by individuals, government , corporate organisations, and development agencies aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.
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“Going forward, we want to be taken seriously and be allowed to talk about the things that are important to us and create positive change in our lives.
“We can see that climate change and economic inequality have similar effects on society, especially on children.
“Children are not the cause of climate change and economic inequalities but its impact on us is high in every aspect, the impact is even harder on children living with disabilities.
“Across Nigeria, children experience increased temperatures and polluted air leading to health problems such as asthma and other dangerous respiratory conditions,” she said.
The child rights advocate said that as Nigerian children, they wanted the government to implement policies such as prohibition of indiscriminate tree felling, to combat climate change .
Mr Amanuel Mamo, Director, Advocacy Campaign and Media, SCI, Nigeria said that the organisation viewed climate change as a child rights crisis.
Mamo said that was why climate change was one of the cross-cutting issues at SCI to raise awareness and do intervention, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in its new country strategic plan.
