The Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, has appealed to the National Assembly to pass into law, the climate change bill, which has already scaled through second reading on the floor of the House.

Ikeazor, who spoke at the National Council on Environment last week, in Abuja, said this has become necessary to address myriads of climate change actions and challenges, applauding the resilience of the critical stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Your participation in this event is a testimony to your unwavering faith in our collective resolve to reverse all adversities in the sector and sustainably manage our environment in the face of the multiple concerns exacerbated by the novel Covid-19 pandemic,” she added.

Talking on “Managing Emerging Environmental challenges: Need for Strategic Approach to Sustainable Development in Covid 19 era and beyond,” she argued the theme was chosen to underscore the realities of global health challenges and ameliorate the environmental and developmental consequences that may confront the nation.

Welcoming delegates, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Abel Enitan disclosed that the summit was previously scheduled to Kano towards the end of last year, but could not due to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

“As a result of the inability of this meeting to accommodate the various memoranda from all stakeholders, the ministry has carefully selected 45 memoranda with broad relevance to specific situations and circumstances of members,” he said.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Micheal Nnachi, called for the involvement of more Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the ministry’s activities as most of its activities are grassroots oriented that require a lot of mobilisation and enlightenment.

The Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Prof. Mansur Matazu, appealed to the minister and the council to push for the ratification of the National Framework for the Application of Climate Service ( NFACS), which will ensure a seamless access to climate service information.

SOURCE: Guardian.ng