Climate change in Nigeria

Climate change in Nigeria is evident from temperature increase, rainfall variability (increasing in coastal areas and decline in continental areas). It is also reflected in drought, desertification, rising sea levels, erosion, floods, thunderstorms, bush fires, landslides, land degradation, more frequent, extreme weather conditions and loss of biodiversity.^[1] All of which continues to negatively affect human and animal life and also the ecosystems in Nigeria.^[2] Although, depending on the location, regions experience climate change with significant higher temperatures during the dry seasons while rainfalls during rainy seasons help keep the temperature at milder levels. The effects of climate change prompted the World Meteorological Organization, in its 40th Executive Council 1988, to establish a new international scientific assessment panel to be called the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).^[3] The 2007 IPCC's fourth and final Assessment Report (AR4) revealed that there is a considerable threat of climate change that requires urgent global attention.^[3] The report further attributed the present global warming to largely anthropogenic practices. The Earth is almost at a point of no return as it faces environmental threats which include atmospheric and marine pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, the dangers of pollution by nuclear and other hazardous substances, and the extinction of various wildlife species.^[4]

The escalation of climate variability in Nigeria has led to heightened and irregular rainfall patterns, exacerbating land degradation and resulting in more severe floods and erosion. As one of the top ten most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, Nigeria has experienced a worsening of these environmental challenges. By 2009, approximately 6,000 gullies had emerged, causing destruction to infrastructure in both rural and urban areas of the country.^[5]

There are few comprehensive reports that provide useful evidence of various impacts of climate change experienced in Nigeria today.^[6][7] The vast majority of the literature provides evidence of climate change holistically and this does not help in providing sustainable solutions to the impacts experienced.^[8][9] However, the agricultural sector should be given more focus especially the existence in diverse regions where large farming is not dominantly practiced. More deliberations should concentrate on other mitigation and adaptation measures in literature which often takes the form of recommendations, rather than examples of what has already been achieved.^[10]

This topical discourse is likely due to the need for much greater implementation of mitigation and adaption measures in ensuring Nigeria produce more food all through the year round to feed the growing population. In addition, while there is some discussion about necessary capacity building at the individual, group and community level to engage in climate change responses, there is also more or less attention given to higher levels of capacity building at the state and national level.^[10]

The associated challenges of climate change are not the same across all geographical areas of the country. This is because of the two precipitation regimes: high precipitation in parts of the Southeast and Southwest and low in the Northern Region. These regimes can result in aridity, desertification and drought in the north; erosion and flooding in the south and other regions,^[11][12][13] Neglected climate change actions is the issue of recycling of PET Bottles particularly in the locally. The use of polyethylene terephthalate also known as PET or PETE (a plastic resin materials used for making packaging materials such as bottles and food containers) is increasingly becoming paramount among manufacturers, as they used these PET bottles to package their products because it (PET) is an excellent barrier material with high strength, thermostability and transparency. Nigeria currently has no standard policy to regulate plastic waste; several efforts including legislations and contracts awarded for the installation of plastic waste recycling plants across the country have been marred by corruption and lack of political will by the government.^[14]