2021 World Earth Day: Minister calls for restoration of Natural Resources

The Nigerian Government has called for the use of Natural resources as a panacea for environment sustainability.

The government says this will scale up efforts in preservation and restoration of the natural ecosystems to mitigate climate change.

The Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, made the call in Abuja as Nigeria joins the rest of the World to mark the 2021 World Earth Day.

Ikeazor said; ”the ministry will continue to focus on issues that enhances sustainable environment.”

According to her “It is a day that stimulates worldwide awareness of climate change and the environment and should therefore enhance stronger government political commitment and massive public action to address all environment issues.”

Biggest challenge
The Minister further stated that, climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that makes the world habitable.

Ikeazor said; “We will focus on inspiring, sensitising and enlightening Nigerians to take action to mitigate  climate change in line with this year’s Earth Day with the theme “Restore our Earth.”

Against the backdrop that Covid-19 has been reported to be a zoonotic disease that passed from animal to human, the Minister said; ”this is the time to re-evaluate Nigeria’s interaction with nature and adopt the one world one health approach.”

She said that the Nigerian Government has scaled up its commitment to mitigate, adapt and promote the capacity for resilience to the impacts of climate change in the country through the ratification of the Paris Agreement by President Muhammadu Buhari  to strengthen existing institutional framework to ensure effective coordination of climate change activities and other actions.

According to her, the Nigerian government, in fulfillment of the Paris Agreement, has developed a draft Sectorial Action Plan (SAP) for the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

“We are currently reviewing the National Policy on Climate Change for more effectiveness with readiness for Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan Framework for Climate Change, NAPs Framework,” She explained.

Ikeazor said; “Also, there is a sustained effort to sensitise the citizenry to adopt clean technologies to meet Nigeria’s emission reduction target, as the country has developed the National Forest Reference Emission Factor Level and submitted it to the UNFCCC. 

“As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to place priority on environmental sustainability to enable us build a healthier, more sustainable future.”

The World Earth Day is celebrated every 22nd of April, and this year’s commemoration marks 50 years of the modern environmental movement which began  in 1970 , a move that gave a voice to an emerging public consciousness about the state of the  planet.

Mercy Chukwudiebere