Dr. Habiba Lawal, the Permanent Secretary Ecological Project Office (EPO) in the Ministry of Environment has charged Course-15 participants of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) to be more scientific in their studies, especially on climate change challenges.
Speaking at the Courtesy visit of Management and course-25 participants to her office in Abuja, Dr. Habiba Lawal urged them to develop a database for natural resources susceptible to the impacts of climate change, noting that it became necessary as Africa is deeply committed to global scientific evidence to find a solution to the global gravity of the climate monster.
She urged the institute to develop conflict management tools and methods, provide for monitoring, prediction and early warning of key conflict indicators
Dr. Lawal further urged NISS to develop and implement policies and strategies to deal with climate change-related conflicts across boundaries in Africa.
She advised them to support and enhance education, training, awareness, capacity building on resources-based and climate change-related conflicts in Africa as well as sustain this platform for exchanging ideas on climate change and good practices on peace, conflict and security in Africa.
The Permanent Secretary expressed worry over the mounting pressure on scarce natural resources due to climate change coupled with rising population which had led to insecurity and conflicts, undermining peace in Africa as a result of the uneven use of the resources
Dr. Lawal pointed out that the fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explicitly shows that the world is warming faster than estimated and that humans caused most of that change. She noted that African countries had been the aggrieved party considering that they virtually played no part in precipitating the menacing global threat.
The Director, Drought Decertification and Coastal Zones Management Mr. Yusuf Addy in his presentation stated that the aim of establishing the Ecological Project Office was to prudently manage a pool of funds devoted to solving ecological problems across the nation.
Speaking, the Director Special Duties Mr. David Haruna commended all those committed in one way or another for the success of the program.
He lauded the tremendous progress of the institute in providing an avenue for course participants from different institutions in the national security establishments to exchange ideas on security challenges that had undermined effective synergy among security intelligence and paramilitary organisations.
Mr. Haruna urged the course-15 participants to mix up and interact with EPO personnel while thanking them for coming to share ideas with EPO, which the office had benefited immensely from.
The event featured an interactive session and presentation of plaques to the Permanent Secretary EPO, Deputy Commandant NISS and the Course-15 Participants.
