Lawmaker: Nigeria, Donors Need More Than $15bn to Revamp Lake Chad

By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Hon. Samuel Onuigbo, has said that Nigeria and concerned countries would require more than the stipulated $15 billion to rehabilitate the receding Lake Chad.

Onuigbo, who doubles as the Vice-President of Globe Nigeria, also hinted that the much-awaited Climate Change Bill would be passed into law before the end of the year.

The lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency of Abia state disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja over the weekend, noting that the dry up of the lake was already leading to the grave loss of livelihood of so many people in the Lake Chad region.

He said: “Faced with harsh climate change emanating from the drying up of Lake Chad, Nigeria and the world bodies have resolved to take the bull by the horn by recharging the lake with a whooping sum of $15 billion US Dollars.

“But with the way things are right now,  I doubt if that amount of money will be enough. I think they are still calculating and studying the appropriate cost which from all indication will be more than the stipulated $15 billion.”

He noted that climate change has been threatening development across all sectors of Nigerians economy at the moment.

Specifically, the lawmaker disclosed that the climate change challenge in Nigeria has contributed immensely to drought, floods, food and water scarcity resulting in damages being done to critical infrastructures.

Onuigbo stressed with regret that several archaic practices such as gas flaring and bush burning which are still occurring in Nigeria significantly destroy the environment and ultimately affect our climate.

“A culmination of these and other effects result in various forms of insecurity such as the now rampant farmers and herdsmen clashes and that of the Boko Haram terrorism in parts of the country,” he stated.

He however expressed optimism that the menace in some parts of the country is now attracting global bodies like the United Nations Security Council, which had passed some resolutions aimed at reducing effect of the climate change.

Onuigbo said that as part of its own contributions, the House of Representatives inaugurated House Committee on Climate Change to effectively fashion out a legislative agenda for climate change and to show the commitment of the National

Assembly toward migration and the adaptation of the effects of Climate Change.