President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria on Monday addressed about 150 world leaders at the leader?s event of the 21 session of the Conference of Parties. The President of Africa?s most populous country stressed the almost total depletion of Lake Chad which I previously reported here Lake Chad. He said it has not only led to the loss of livelihood of millions of people living in the surrounding area but has also aided the Boko haram terrorist group in carrying out their attack across the countries surrounding the Lake Chad basin.

The President said ?at the sub-regional level, we are saddled with the challenge of the drying up of the Lake Chad Basin, which is resulting in the total wipe out of livelihoods of many communities surrounding this transboundary natural resource.

?Regrettably, the world is leaving behind millions of people who depend on the Lake for their survival.

?The Government of Nigeria welcomes the Lake Chad Development and Climate Resilience Plan, and the Lake Chad Basin Commission and international partners for designing this climate-based Plan?.

 

On Nigeria?s position on the UN climate change negotiations in Paris, the President said, ?must draw extensively on the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities?.

Mr. Buhari further stressed the need to fund developing countries in their bid to successfully mitigate the effects of climate change which they are often vulnerable to while also calling for technology transfer and capacity development to help developing countries win this battle against climate change.

President Buhari assured global leaders of Nigeria?s support for a climate agreement which will be legally-binding and fair to all.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari addressed a high level meeting on the sidelines of the COP21 involving UN secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, French President, François Hollande and several African leaders which focused on ?Climate Change Challenges and Solutions in Africa??. He sought the strong financial commitment of developed countries to the tune of 14 billion dollars required to revive the Lake Chad basin which has shrank from 25,000 square kilometres to 2,500 square kilometres.

The President said ?Nigeria has a large population of over 170 million people and in some parts of Northern Nigeria, a farm that used to belong to 10 people now belongs to over 100 people. They have no other place to live and no land for cultivation?.

?The amount of resources required and the high technological expertise and infrastructure needed to be undertaken to revive the Lake Chad has to be mainly financed by the G7 and the United States.

?The cost is great and more than 14 billion dollars is needed to revive the Lake.

?But if that is achieved, at least five million people from Central African Republic to the Lake Chad Basin countries (Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin) will be rehabilitated?. He said this will help reduce migration of Africans to Europe through the Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea.

The Nigerian President, who returned home yesterday, also urged developed countries to aid Nigeria?s quest to reduce emissions especially through an optimal utilization of natural gas by supporting the expensive technological needs.

In all, Nigeria can be proud of her outing at the COP21 so far.

 

Photos by: Femi Adesina (Special Adviser on Media to President Buhari)