Angela Onwuzoo
The United Nations Children’s Fund says effective private-sector participation in climate action is crucial in combating the devastating impacts of climate change, especially on children.
The international organisation noted that tackling the huge consequences of climate change required coordinated collective efforts involving critical stakeholders, including the public and private sectors.
Worried about the devastating effects of climate change on children and other vulnerable groups, UNICEF urged the government to create an atmosphere that will foster the effective participation of the private sector and communities in climate action.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office for South-West Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, made this call on Wednesday in Lagos at an event organised by UNICEF to commemorate the 2024 World Children’s Day with the theme, “The voices, today- empowering children and young people to lead climate action”
The event brought together many students from both government and private schools across Lagos to lend their voices to climate action.
Lafoucriere said there was a need to empower children to lead climate change discussions by providing them with a safe and protected environment that they need to be able to survive and thrive.
According to her, 100 million children are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in Nigeria.
She also disclosed that Nigeria was among the three countries in the world that were most impacted by climate change.
Experts say climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a present reality in Nigeria, manifesting in widespread environmental devastation. The flooding, desertification, and extreme weather conditions we now experience are clear signs that the country is in the throes of a climate crisis.
These changes have wreaked havoc on communities, causing loss of lives, displacement of millions, and disruption to livelihoods.
Lafoucriere said, “ It is important and urgent we take action on climate change. It is the right of every child to be protected from climate change effects.
“ It is important that we focus this year on climate change and its impact on children. UNICEF works in support of governments because we know no one can do everything alone. We do that with development partners, with governments, also with private sector partners, with young people, and with children, as you’ve seen today.”
She further noted, “Children are our future and they need to be given a voice. Children are very enlightened when it comes to climate change action. At UNICEF, what we mean by empowering children is making sure that we give them the environment that they need to be able to survive and thrive in a safe and protected environment.
“What it means is that the Federal Ministry of Education has to make sure that climate action is embedded into the National Curriculum and teachers have to talk about climate change.”
She emphasised that upholding children’s rights was essential for creating a better world for the present generation and the next to come, and achieving this mandate was at the heart of UNICEF globally.
“So, your rights as children are non-negotiable, your well-being, your good health, good nutrition, access to water and sanitation, hygiene, and access to education are all under our mandate in UNICEF.
“You are the drivers of the safeguard of peace and violence, so I particularly celebrate the role you play in Nigeria and any other country, lending your voices and preparing solutions to critical social issues, including climate change, because it’s about you and your creativity”, she added.
Lafoucriere also stressed the need for parents to be enlightened about climate change while urging the government to put in place the necessary facilities that promote climate change action.
With Nigeria among the list of three countries in the world most impacted by climate change, Lafoucriere said the private sector participation in climate change action was critical by bringing their resources to tackle the menace.
“Research shows that Nigeria is among the three countries in the world that are most impacted by climate change. What that means is that there are 100 million young people and children under the age of 18 in Nigeria who are affected by climate change’s huge consequences.
“We need to bring public and private partners around the table to take action together. The private sector is very critical. Together we are stronger”, she said.
She said there was a need for shared value partnership in taking action on climate change. She urged organisations driven by the protection and rights of children to work with UNICEF to take action on climate change.
In his remarks, the Lagos State Commissioner, Ministry of Youths & Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the global celebration of children symbolizes the unity and commitment of world leaders, including the Nigerian government and Lagos State, by extension,n, to protecting children’s rights.
He commended UNICEF for prioritising issues concerning children, stressing that Nigerian children truly deserve the best value for survival, development, protection, and participation in matters that affect them.
Also speaking, UNICEF Ambassador Kate Henshaw urged Nigerians to embrace the habit of proper waste disposal, maintaining that tackling climate change effects required collective efforts.
“We all have our part to play as individuals making sure that our environment is clean by disposing of our waste responsibly. The government has its part to play in also disposing of it carefully and healthily. We need to encourage more plastic recycling”, she said.
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