By George George Idowu
The former chairman, house committee on climate change, Hon. Samuel Onuigbo has said it is entirely possible for Nigeria to triple her global renewable energy capacity by 2023, a commitment made at COP28.
In a recent interview with journalists, Hon. Onuigbo acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting the lack of adequate preparations compared to some other nations.
According to him, the difficulties in achieving this ambitious goal are due to inadequate preparations. However, Hon. Onuigbo emphasized that with the proper implementation of necessary measures, it is indeed feasible.
He drew attention to Africa’s contribution of less than 4% to global emissions but stressed the severe impact of climate change on the continent due to insufficient preparedness compared to major polluters.
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“Africa contributes less than 4% of global emissions but Africa is seriously impacted by climate change because we are not even prepared the way the polluters are prepared, how they have developed their infrastructure to be able to withstand challenges or impact of climate change” Onuigbo pointed out.
One of the key issues identified by Onuigbo is the lack of proper and coordinated implementation of the Climate Change Act signed by President Buhari in 2021.
Despite these challenges, Hon. Onuigbo expressed optimism about the progress made since the bill became law.
He highlighted positive developments such as schools incorporating climate change education into their curriculum, recognizing the importance of addressing climate change within society.
Acknowledging the hurdles faced, Onuigbo also pointed out the significant increase in awareness since the signing of the Climate Change Act.
Reflecting on the historical context, he mentioned the 16-year journey it took for the country to pass a bill related to climate change, citing initial reluctance from some quarters due to perceived lack of positive impact.
