Professor Okeke Gerald Ndubuisi is a professor of Climatic Change and Environmental Sustainability.He was recently upgraded and got Professorial Chair Award by the prestigious Highstone Global University, Texas, USA. He spoke on the challenges of climate change in Nigeria, hunger in the land, cost of doing business and other salient issues.
Excerpts:

Tell us who you are

I am Professor Okeke Gerald Ndubuisi. I am from Umulogho Obowo in Imo state. I am the first son of Late Mazi Lazarus Okeke and Ezinne Salome Okeke. I had a very tough childhood upbringing sequel to the Nigerian/Biafran civil war.

My academic journey is equally remarkable. I have double HNDs in Safety & Environment & Strategic Human Resources, Bsc in Environmental Science, and double Postgraduate Diplomas from Oxford Business Executives, UK, and Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. I earned an MSc in Industrial Safety Engineering from TBU Global Extension in New York, an MSc in Energy & Petroleum Economics from Delta State University, Abraka, as well as PhDs in Safety & Environment and Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability from TBU Global Extension, New York, USA. In addition to my academic achievements, I have published numerous research papers in peer-reviewed journals across the globe.
I am happily married to Ambassador Engr. (Dr) Ngozi Gift Okeke (Iyom Lolo Odueze Ugodiya 1 of Obowo) Imo State, and blessed with four lovely children.

How do you see yourself with your academic laurels?

I am highly elated today for receiving this prestigious Professorial chair award. This award was given by Highstone Global University, Texas, USA, in conjunction with the International Association for Quality Assurance Higher Education (QAHE). Don’t forget that I received my first Professorial chair in 2021 by the Triune Biblical University Global Extension, New York, USA. So this is my second Professorial chair award. My first Professorial chair award was on Safety & Environment, while this second one is on Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability.
I give glory to Almighty GOD for taking me to this level.

As a Professor of Climate Change and Sustainability, what do you see as the effect of climate change in Nigeria and how can it be managed?

The effects of climate change are quite obvious on our Environment. Desertification is gradually encroaching into some parts of Northern Nigeria. Areas that were hitherto full of vegetation are gradually going away sequel to the global climate change ravaging the whole world.

Secondly, the continuous hewing down of trees without planting the corresponding number of trees is one of the reasons why we are facing this climate change impact on our environment. We had up to seven rain forests in Nigeria before now, but some of these rain forests have gone extinct sequel to wood logging and massive deforestation process.
As a result, we have plunged ourselves into serious environmental quagmire and we need to start doing something humanly possible to ameliorate this deplorable condition we plunged ourselves into.

Suffice it to say that we are the harbingers of our affliction and we are actually paying the price of our inexperience towards this dispensation. To pull out of this environmental quagmire, we need to start massive orientation. We should plant more trees to help absorb the quantum of gas emissions and carbon dioxide hanging loosely in the air sequel to anthropogenic activities of mankind on planet Earth. We should be planning to use alternative energy sources to cushion the effects of climate change on our environment.

According to a UN report 26 million Nigerians are hungry, what measures do you think the present administration should take to ameliorate this situation?

The Federal Govt needs to make agriculture a top priority. The spirit of Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) should be invoked again. Aggressive and massive agricultural revolution/ development should be encouraged. There is much hunger in the land and the signs and symptoms of this hunger could be felt across the nation.

I still think that this UN report may not be correct. I am thinking that the numbers could be more than 26 million people.

Can you be specific on what government should do?

The government should provide the required necessities for the masses such as :Food security.They should embark on
massive agricultural investment to feed the nation. Electricity should be made available 24-7.They should reduce fuel pump price. Employment opportunities should be provided for the masses.

A hungry man like we know is an angry man. Agricultural revolution would have done the magic in revamping and reviving the economy. All we are asking for is democracy of the stomach, which is three square meals a day.

Recently the university students are complaining about high tuition fees , do you think the government is doing enough in the educational sector?

The recent hike in tuition fees by some tertiary institutions in the country is raising a lot of dust.

Parents are complaining and students too are complaining. The economy is not friendly at all.

Do you know that some students do menial jobs to pay their tuition fees?

Education is the bedrock of any nation and as such, should not be toyed with. Recently, the Federal Govt came up with this new student’s education loan. It is a welcome development only if the Govt could sustain this laudable programme. This would afford indigent students the opportunity to attain higher education.

Many Nigerian professionals are leaving Nigeria for foreign countries in what is tagged ‘Japa syndrome’ .What do you think the government should do to put a stop to this trend.

This is a sad development I must confess. Most of our good hands are leaving the country in search of greener pastures. I don’t blame anyone that wants to leave the country. In foreign climes, they offer good packages to Nigerian professionals and this definitely attracts them to ‘Japa’ outside our shores in search of greener pastures. If our economy improves, coupled with good packages, most of our professionals would not be going outside the country.

First and foremost, we should get our economy on a sound footing for us to stop this brain drain in our country.

Many foreign investors are also leaving Nigeria in droves, because of high cost of doing business in Nigeria, what measures do you think the government can put in place to check this unhealthy trend?

You are absolutely correct my brother. Investors are leaving in droves because the business climate in Nigeria now is not friendly at all. No reasonable business man would invest in an unsecured environment like ours today. Secondly, there is no electricity for the investors or companies to do their business.

The cost of running diesel generators and other things are quite high.

For investors to have that confidence in our country, the government should do the following among others, reduce
taxation for investors, provide a level playing wnvironment for all the investors, provide adequate security and ensure that our national security architecture is working very well.

Many academicians and religious leaders are calling on government to reduce the cost of governance. What is your take on this?

I join that call to reduce the cost of governance. It is too much. The country has been plunged into serious economic crisis and our legislators are busy buying SUV’s and other bullet proof cars. This is highly unacceptable. We cannot be chasing rats while our house is on fire. Our politicians should get their acts together and provide good leadership for the masses. They are to make laws that would help the entire country and not make laws only for their own good.

Secondly, it is high time our people should start asking their representatives questions about what they are doing to improve the lots of our people. Let the minimum wage be used as a yard stick to peg the salary and allowances of our Senators, representatives and other top govt functionaries. I bet you that many of the politicians would pull out of politics if the money they are being paid is drastically reduced.

The problem this govt is passing through started with the Buhari Administration. That government handed over a live cobra to the Tinubu Administration. I pray that Almighty God would help this Administration to navigate through this troubled and turbulent economic waters.

If you were the President what will you do to reduce the increasing wave of insecurity in the country?

If I were the President of this country, I shall pay more attention to security. Insecurity has taken over the country. Kidnappers and unknown gun men have taken over some areas in this country. People are living in fear. You dont know if you are going to be the next victim of these kidnappers and blood thirsty hoodlums. As long as insecurity is not addressed, no meaningful development can take place in the country. Another thing I would do as the President is to provide jobs for the army of unemployed graduates and youths in the country.

Thirdly, I shall improve the salary of our security personnel. That would give them a kind of psychological boost to do their job. Imagine a situation a Private in the army is paid 60k per month, meanwhile, we expect to catch the insurgents in the Northern part of the country. Finally, I shall task all various security agencies to close ranks and work as one indivisible entity towards arresting the insecurity situation in the country.

Many Nigerian youths believed in getting rich quickly thereby dabbling in cyber crimes and ritualistic activities, What’s your advice to the Nigerian youths?

The quest for quick wealth and material things amongst our youths these days are assuming a stupendous and alarming dimensions. The popular adage of suffer before pleasure, makes no sense again to our youths. These days, you would see a boy of 17 or 18 years driving expensive cars and living a flamboyant life style.

Parents are equally not helping matters in this aspect. Parents these days push their children into making quick wealth by using their age mates as reference points to them. Hard work has been thrown into the dust bin. I am using this golden opportunity to admonish our youths to take it easy. You cannot jump into growth, but, you can walk into growth gradually and systematically.

Some of our youths waste their lives and die untimely sequel to crave for quick riches and other things. Yahoo yahoo plus or visiting marabouts to perform rituals is purely satanic and should be condemned in all its ramifications.

Who is your mentor or role model?

I have many role models in various sectors. In the oil & gas industry, my role models are Engr Ehondor Henry and Engr Tunde Momodu. These two gentlemen affected my life positively while I was active in the oil and gas industry. There are others, but they are outstanding in this aspect. Academically, my role model is Prof. Adeleke Daniel Durojaiye (The President of Triune Biblical University Global Extension, NewYork, USA).

Spiritually, my role models are Rev Dr Austin John Obiechina of Stars of Heaven Convenant Church, Warri in Delta, and Evangelist Ebuka Obi of Zion Ministries International.

And your guiding philosophy?

My guiding philosophy is live and let live. I draw my strength from the scriptural which says “Do unto others how you want them to do to you”. I am a communal person that wants others around me to be progressing in all ramifications.