Although Nigeria is potentially very vulnerable to global warming, there is no serious awareness and preparation for global warming in Nigeria. The geography of Nigeria makes it highly susceptible to the increasing threats of rising sea levels, on the other hand, the country is also vulnerable to rising heatwaves. This is a clear case of natural double jeopardy.

Nigeria has a very unique geography where about half the country shares a boundary with the sea while the other half shares a boundary with one of the hottest deserts on the planet. While several other countries may have to battle the ensuring heatwaves of global warming or the ensuring rising sea level, Nigeria would have to battle with both on different fronts. To complicate the situation further, Nigeria’s most populous cities are situated in high-intensity areas of either an extreme heat wave or high-level rising sea impact.

Take for instance Lagos state, Nigeria’s most populous state, even now the state is constantly threatened by flooding. Lagos state isn’t the only state with high population density often threatened by these impacts of rising sea levels. Port Harcourt in Rivers State and Onitsha in Anambra State are other two densely populated cities in Nigeria’s South where a rising sea level threat is imminent if nothing is done.

Back in the North of the country, the states bordering the Sahara desert are experiencing high-level heatwaves. In all of these, Nigerians and the Nigerian government don’t seem to be paying the much-needed attention to the potential impact of global warming in Nigeria.

Why Global Warming Awareness is Important in Nigeria

Climate change may be reversible but that is only possible if the people are informed. Nigeria being the largest country in Africa by population may be responsible for a great chunk of the climate change-inducing action in Africa. The higher the population the higher the human activity. These human activities may range from everyday living to industrial activities.

When unchecked, these activities can bring consequences for the environment. Given how vulnerable Nigeria is to the impact of climate change on two fronts, it becomes important that mass sensitization on the impact of climate change on the planet, the continent of Africa, and Nigeria may be massive.

How to Promote Awareness of Global Warming in Nigeria

The promotion of global warming awareness can go in the way of organizations like we are doing at Niger Investor by encouraging individuals to approach business with a climate change focus. Also, governments at different levels and individuals can participate in climate change sensitization.

Climate change initiatives can also be sponsored in our schools. Such initiatives like encouraging climate change clubs in primary and secondary schools will go a long way in instilling the reality of climate change in young students. Apart from awareness campaigns, the government needs to be ready for the likely unavoidable reality of global warming.

Why the Nigerian Government May be applying strategic silence in approach to climate Change

At the governance level, there seems a deliberate reluctance toward climate change. Given that Nigeria’s major revenue comes from crude oil, it may be a strategic silence on the part of the government of Nigeria as pragmatic steps towards climate change may reduce the export of our crude.

On a deeper look, while the crude export and even local utilization of its products are vital to Nigeria’s survival currently, feigning ignorance of global warming can be disastrous. Nigeria can still sell crude products while using some of the proceeds to prepare for climate change impact.

How the government can prepare for the impact of global warming in Nigeria

The focus of the Nigerian government seems not to have been drawn to the impending dangers of climate change yet. While Nigeria participates in global climate change-focused events, pragmatic steps are not being taken in readiness for any eventuality arising from climate change at home. Oil spills are still a menace to the oil-producing communities. Nigeria is still investing in fossil fuel products and a greater chunk of Nigeria’s foreign revenue comes from crude oil.

It is understood that for now, Nigeria just like the rest of the world may not be able to completely do away with climate change causative activities. This is because our society is heavily dependent on some of those. Even when we think that coal and crude are heavy causative factors of global warming, we can’t instantly do away with them. But there could be a way out. Nigeria can encourage enterprises to be conscious of climate change. This may also take the form of providing cleaner renewable energy facilities for industrial and home use. Despite the complicated scenario today, individuals and governments can take the following three steps to prepare for global warming.

• Massive education and sensitization on global warming and its impact: This can be done by individuals as well as the government. First global warming is a thing, it is not a hoax. Individual, industrial as well as government activities can contribute to global warming. It will take all parties being intentional to achieve progress in reversing global warming or mitigating its impact.

It is important to understand that climate change is not only going to impact just developed countries. Nigeria and other African countries are not immune to global warming. Nigeria on the other hand may have a higher impact from global warming given that the temperature in the North is already too high. Populous Southern cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt are already experiencing some negative impacts of rising sea levels. It is important to sensitize the people about the dangers of climate change so that everyone takes responsibility at the individual level.

• Investing in the climate change combating sector: To forestall the impact of climate change, great technical know-how will be crucial. The engineering sector that can build a barricade between us and the sea needs to be set up as soon as possible, and housing settlements today need to take account of climate change. Safe distance needs to be maintained between shores and residential settlements. We need to invest in the right kind of infrastructure and technology right from today.
• Consciously reducing activities and products that induce global warming: The use of products that tend to escalate global warming needs to be gradually phased out. This can be through regulation of the use of such products or activities, introducing cleaner and safer alternatives, etc.

Conclusion

The impact of global warming in Nigeria is becoming more glaring with each passing day. This won’t be the first time our planet will experience climate change. Climate change has always come with its threats to species. We seem to live in a highly civilized time. The impact of climate change could be slowed and our species and others may be saved from an impending catastrophe.

As Nigerians, we need to understand the great challenge that climate change may pose to our society. We need to get ready for it today. As individuals we need to endeavor to learn more about climate change, we need to understand how our little actions may impact the planet and then seek to do things that may improve our world for all of us. It is a wake-up call to Nigerians particularly and the rest of humanity to take climate change more seriously.

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