UNIOSUN DVC Calls for Concerted Effort to Mitigate Climate Change, Environmental Degradation 

Funmi  Ogundare
 

A Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Research, Innovations and Partnerships (ARIP), Osun State University, Osogbo, Anthony Kola-Olusanya, yesterday, called for Nigeria’s concerted efforts to reduce climate change and other forms of environmental degradation so as to achieve a healthy and safe environment.

Kola-Olusanya made this call at the inaugural lecture series 014, of the institution which he delivered, themed ‘Saving Humanity and the Planet Earth: Humanity must Rethink its Development Trajectory ‘.

To achieve this, he explained the importance of educating the youths and children on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring that they are aware of their roles in addressing global challenges such as clean water and sanitation, climate action, responsible consumption and production of recycling paper, plastic, glass and aluminium items, among others.

According to him, “the first thing is when you educate people, there will be a change in policy in government and people will become aware. When you have more educated people, you can easily begin to turn around your environment.”

He described sustainable development as a societal challenge, saying that improvements in healthcare and education will go a long way in achieving higher income and better environmental decisions.

The Don, who is also a Senior Associate expert at the UNESCO Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, explained that policies that would promote the decarbonisation of the energy industry through clean energy resources and renewable processes, must be put in place, adding that there should be good and clean water for all while protecting the biosphere and the oceans.

“This will require efficient and sustainable food system achievable through increasing agricultural productivity and reducing meat consumption,” he stated.

Kola-Olusanya said a digital revolution in science, technology and innovation would be required to support sustainable development, adding that smart cities, urban planning patterns should be transformed for the good of the population and the environment which may be done through smart infrastructure and internet connectivity.

In an interview with THISDAY, the Professor of Environmental Sustainability, recalled the efforts of Greta Eleonora, a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation, stating that when such effort is being replicated here in Nigeria, more people will be aware.

“We seem to pay lip service to education here. When you say you want to teach Environmental Education or Sustainable Development in class, the first question will be how do we fix it in the time-table and the curriculum? It is a big deal here.

“Everything is so lumped and our curriculum is too loaded, but it’s not as if they take environmental education as a subject in the primary school abroad, but they have infused it as a way of life. Immediately a child gets into kindergarten, he knows that you must separate your waste. That is education. You don’t need a degree to do that,” he stressed.