By Adeola Badru

Climate-change stakeholders and experts have pressed the Nigerian government to move beyond policy declarations and begin fully implementing and enforcing its climate-related commitments, arguing that only decisive action will secure a resilient socio-economic future and genuine sustainable development.

The appeal was made in Ibadan yesterday, during a Validation Meeting for the Climate Equity Project, themed, “Amplifying Community Roles on Climate Change in Nigeria.”

The project is supported by global non-profit organisation NetHope, in collaboration with the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN) and Ushahidi, a Kenyan technology and data organisation.

The meeting, drew attention to the rapidly worsening impacts of climate change across Nigeria, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, flooding and deforestation.

Participants stressed that these challenges urgently require coordinated efforts between vulnerable communities, government institutions and non-governmental organisations.

They criticised government inaction on mitigation measures, noting that climate change is already undermining food production, particularly crops such as maize and yam and contributing to growing health burdens among women and children.

Calls were also made for the government to enforce existing environmental laws, especially those concerning indiscriminate tree-felling and the dumping of refuse in drainage channels, which contribute to flooding and ecological degradation.

Stakeholders insisted that climate education and sensitisation be expanded across rural communities, schools and corporate settings to strengthen public engagement.

One of the participants, Dr. Lukeman Oladapo, a farmer, expressed concern over an impending shortage and likely price hike of vegetables during the dry season.

He criticised what he described as Oyo State Government’s failure to utilise its numerous dams for irrigation, despite the pressing need to support year-round crop production.

Oladapo warned that vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and onions consistently disappear from markets across the South-West during the dry season, forcing heavy reliance on supplies from northern states.

According to him, this disparity existed because most northern states operate irrigation systems that allow uninterrupted food production.

Dr. Oladapo pointed out that Oyo State is endowed with significant water resources, including 19 earth dams capable of providing potable water and supporting irrigation.

He listed Sanusi Dam in Oluyole, Ajeja Dam in Akinyele, Akufo Dam in Ido, and Ajinapa Dam in Ogbomoso, along with others located in Kisi, Orelope, Saki, Okeho and Iseyin.

Oladapo noted that Ajeja and Sanusi dams in particular hold enough water to irrigate roughly 100 hectares of farmland.

He said these water bodies could support vegetable production throughout the year if government would simply open access to farmers.

Speaking with journalists, YARN representative, Sheyi Olawoye explained that Oyo, Osun and Ondo States served as pilot locations for the project, which aims to capture the voices of rural residents, riverine communities, youth groups and other vulnerable populations seeking government intervention in the challenges they face.

Olawoye said that flooding emerged as the most common issue across the three states, with residents complaining about excessive rainfall and inadequate drainage systems.

He called on government to prioritise the provision of effective drainage networks and urged Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders to work with government to develop sustainable, joint solutions.

In her remarks, Ushahidi representative Rhoda Omenya said her organisation is committed to helping marginalised communities amplify their voices and gather the data required to make informed decisions.

She noted that the validation meeting was a key step in completing the project report, which will later be returned to the communities to support climate-adaptation, mitigation and climate-action strategies.

Omenya expressed hope that the findings would influence climate-action policies not only in the three pilot states but across Nigeria.

Also speaking, Climate Intersections Coordinator at NetHope, Aminat Adebayo, assured participants that all aggregated data will be channelled toward addressing the needs of affected communities.

She emphasised the importance of collaboration between communities, government and Civil Society Organisations, reiterating that Nigeria remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Adebayo said NetHope’s mission is to amplify and integrate the voices of the most affected groups in shaping climate action and policy.