By Bitrus Osagie

International Climate Change Development Initiative (ICCDI), Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21ST), and Connected Advocacy (CA) have sensitised members of the Difa community in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State on net-zero carbon emission.

The theme of the sensitisation is “Raising Awareness on Net Zero in Nigeria,”

Speaking at the one-day community sensitisation on emission reduction held in the Difa community on Tuesday, the convener of the event, Mr Olumide Idowu of ICCDI, said that rural dwellers were critical stakeholders in an effort to mitigate climate change.

Idowu said tackling climate change was an urgent challenge that required collective efforts of all stakeholders.

He said if progress must be recorded towards achieving the net-zero carbon emission target, the campaign must ensure that no one was left behind, hence the reason the CSOs took the awareness to Difa which is a rural settlement.

According to him, five states of Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Edo have been visited for net-zero campaign and Gombe State is the last state.

He stated that the engagement with the community had helped the CSOs to identify the problems that Difa community was facing on environmental and climate change issues.

“And since we started this conversation, we have been able to gather lots of information and also understand that net-zero conversation is what they are doing daily in their environments.

“Talking and listening to them help us understand that there are so many effects of climate change, issues related to biodiversity, afforestation, ecosystem.

Idowu while commending Difa community for showing concern on issues of climate change and the need to reduce carbon emission said the community now have better understanding on the net-zero.

He appealed to the government and all stakeholders to intensify efforts towards raising awareness about emission reductions and climate change mitigation in Nigeria.

Addressing the community members, Mr Loknan Loknap, the Enforcement Officer, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Gombe State appealed to the community to take the issues of emission reduction seriously.

Loknap also tasked the community to ensure proper waste management while paying more attention to tree planting.

Also speaking, Mr Dauda Umar, an Account officer of Jewel Environmental Initiative, an environment NGO based in Gombe State commended the Difa community for embracing the tree-planting initiative of the state government.

Umar pledged to provide more tree seedlings to the community to encourage them to plant more trees as part of his organisation’s efforts at combating desertification in the state.

Mr Musa Mohammed, the chairman of Difa Community Development Association commended the CSOs for coming to sensitise them on issues of climate change, adding that the campaign was an “eye-opener” to many of them.

Mohammed assured that the campaign would be taken down to the members of the community towards getting the support of more persons in the community.

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