Borno govt, NGOs canvass for adequate funding on climate change mitigation
By Ladi Dapson
The coalition of NGOs in collaboration with the Borno state government has urged stakeholders and governments at all levels to prioritize climate change in their budgets to enable effective mitigation and adaptation measures.
Usman Aliyu, Director General of Borno State Agency for Great Greenwall led the climate change actors during the Youth Climate Justice March in Maiduguri , held in celebration of the 2025 Global Week for Action on Climate Justice.
The event is annually which highlights the growing climate-related issues such as flooding, desertification, degradation, flooding, and food insecurity, which he attributed to years of neglecting climate concerns.
Placards at the march included messages such as: “Prioritize agroecology in state budgets,” “Climate adaptation is not charity, it’s justice,” “Nigeria can’t achieve sustainable development without climate resilience,” and “Hold polluters responsible.”
He urged governments, citizens, and individuals to embrace a just transition toward climate action, including climate financing, adaptation strategies, and environmental accountability.
According to him, “first plan is what we began today by creating awareness, telling people what we are facing today. All of us are sweating, so this is a sign of global warming. This is an impact of global warming.
He added, “So I’m planning to create awareness and tell people on the importance of trees planting and the environment, how trees can help mitigate what we are facing today ranges between depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, reverse desertification and also mitigate desert encroachment.
He further emphasized, “And this is going to go a long way to reduce the temperature. This is going to go a long way to eradicate disease outbreak. This is going to go a long way in providing microclimate to the people. It is going to go a long way in boosting our agriculture, which is going to also secure our food security. It is going to also mitigate malnutrition, when the issue of climate change is being mitigated, definitely it will address all these issues.
He continued, “My plan now, after creating awareness, we are going to embark on massive afforestation, and it has even started we planted trees in numerous places. We also give out trees for those who want to plant trees, meaning we want everybody should plant and protect trees in Borno,”Aliyu urged.
Speaking on the appeals, Sadiq Abubakar, the Executive Director Center For Advocacy,Transparency & Accountability Initiative – CATAI, urged both governments and citizens to prioritize climate action through budgeting, reducing water and electricity consumption, maintaining environmental cleanliness, and avoiding improper waste disposal that blocks drainage systems and worsens flooding.
Sadiq emphasized that climate change is a persistent global challenge requiring collective efforts for adaptation and mitigation and called on everyone to join hands in addressing the crisis
“Today, we commemorate the Global Week for Action on Climate Justice, a time to raise awareness of climate issues worldwide. We have seen unprecedented flooding, rising food insecurity, and other disasters, largely due to years of ignoring climate issues. We call on governments and citizens to take action for a just transition in climate policy.
He said, “Climate justice is the foundation of real solutions. We are calling for a system built on fairness, dignity, and sustainability. For Nigeria, this means ending decades of gas flaring that have poisoned communities and destroyed ecosystems. It means shifting billions away from fossil fuels into clean renewable energy and making real investments in agroecology.
” It means investing in climate mitigation and adaptation that directly support communities at the frontline of climate shocks. Because protecting people is the heart of protecting the planet.”Sadiq said.
The events was supported by ActionAid Nigeria, and partners with support from ActionAid Nigeria, under the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA II) project held a street walk for the Global Week of Climate Action.
