The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) revealed that floods have displaced 650,000 Nigerian children, positioning the country as the second most impacted globally by climate change’s effects on children.
The displacement, spanning from 2016 to 2023, underscores the urgent need for comprehensive and swift action to address the escalating risks faced by over 110 million Nigerian children due to rising temperatures, floods, droughts, and severe storms.
In a press release on Monday, Director General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr. Salisu Dahiru, stressed the immediacy of an inclusive response, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as children and women.
Simultaneously, Christian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, highlighted the importance of providing a platform for children to voice their concerns about climate change, paving the way for a collective effort toward a sustainable future.
The launch of the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) in Nigeria marked 2023 World Children’s Day, bringing together stakeholders from education, the environment, media, and various organizations at the Evolution Hotel in Gombe.
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The event, streamed live by UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, outlined key climate risks to children and proposed multi-sectoral climate actions for Nigeria from 2023 to 2027.
The attendees included UNICEF officials, Gombe’s Commissioner for Education, Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari, the Project Coordinator of Agro-Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), as well as journalists and peace advocates.
Following the launch, an inter-school quiz competition on climate change was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the Gombe State Ministry of Education, ACReSAL, and Pathway to Peace DW Academia.
Government Girls Mega College, Gombe, clinched the first position in the inter-school competition, with Government Day Secondary School, Gandu, and Government Day Secondary School, Gombe, securing second and third places, respectively. Commissioner Maigari praised UNICEF for the CLAC initiative and called for sustained efforts to ensure a lasting legacy for interventions aimed at children. #Flood