Climate Change: Nigerian govt develops national framework

TRACKING___The Federal Government on Tuesday in Abuja said it had developed a National Framework for the Application of Climate Services (NFACS) to address climate change issues.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika made this known during a public presentation of 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) and 2019 climate review.

Sirika said NFACS was a downscaled version of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Framework on Climate Services (GFCS) to enable Nigeria better manage the risks to maximise opportunities arising from climate variability and change.

“It will build partnership, mobilise resources, coordinate national response and activities as well as develop infrastructure for climate services. A partnership approach, involving all relevant stakeholders at all levels (Federal, States and LGAs), will ensure its success.

“A concerted and coordinated national effort elaborated in this Framework will, therefore, contribute to improving the well-being of Nigerians, particularly communities that are more vulnerable to impacts of climate extremes,” he said.

The minister said that NiMet had established infrastructure delivering climate services in the country to provide climate information.

According to him, the role of the agency in such efforts was unequivocal.

Sirika said the ministry would continue to support the agency to discharge its responsibilities to the nation.

“This year’s SRP presentation is on the theme: “The role of climate information for decision making in a changing climate”.

“The choice of this theme is quite relevant because of the critical role of climate resilient initiatives in the economic reform programme of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he added.

NiMet Director-General, Prof. Sani Mashi, said the SRP aimed at providing early warning signs to help policymakers and end users to plan adequately as they carried out their socio-economic activities.

“The 2020 SRP will, therefore, serve as a huge resource material for planning so as to reduce weather-related risk and serve as a tool for sustainable development,“ Mashi said.