LAGOS MAY 26TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Founder of Onuesoke Foundation, Hon Sunny Onuesoke has appealed to Federal and Delta State government on the need to focus on factors that will mitigate against climate change in Nigeria.
Onuesoke who made the appeal at Warri Airport, Osibi, Delta State while seeing off French expert on climate change from France who was on official visit to Onuesoke Foundation in Warri, Delta State said the causes of climate change which is the depletion of the ozone layer could be traced to creation of emission of greenhouses gases like carbon dioxide and methane, deforestation and growing world population is causing a lot of havoc on the environment.
Onuesoke said the government has to focus on mitigation of change because it has disastrous effects whixh include increased incidence of high sea level, more frequent hot days, heat waves, draught and desertification which has hampered agricultural production mostly in African countries where between 75 and 250 million people are presently at the danger of dying of starvation.
He advised that Federal and Delta State government needs to solve climate change related problems which according to him include flooding especially in the Niger Delta Region which might lead to erosions uprooting settlements, loss of oil wells and loss of coastal vegetation such as mangroves.
Onuesoke advised that these myriads of climate problems call for the restructuring of our educational system as way of creating awareness towards surmounting problems.
According to Onuesoke whose foundation had been creating awareness on tree planting and mitigation of climate change, “ There should be a curriculum at all level of education in Nigeria to offer knowledge on climate change which will provide pupils with appropriate experience with science and technology as it relates to the environment.”
Onuesoke lamented that climate change is a major challenge disclosed that the water in Delta state is already impacted giving rise to serious pollution which had lead to increases in the burning of wood to boil water and this trend needs to be reversed.
“To achieve this, we need a robust water filtration model that provides the dual solution of providing clean portable water as well as help in reducing deforestation,” he advised..
He advised that Nigerians should be encouraged to grow trees, while oil companies should be discouraged from gas flaring to prevent the depletion of the ozone layers.
Onuesoke who hailed Delta State government detruction of illegal structures in Warr, however, enjoined the government to plant trees and flowers along major streets in the city for generation of oxygen and free breath of fresh air.