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National Experience on Building
Awareness for (UNFCCC) in Nigeria
by
Damian Ihedioha, PhD
Programme Director
Nigerian Environmental Study
/Action
Team,
NEST;
[email protected]
Background

Nigerians recognize that Climate Change is a
major global challenge
 which require collaborative effort to make
any discernable impact.
 Nigerians also believe that the industrialized
countries are responsible for most of the
emissions,
 that poor countries would be worst affected
due to poor economic base, lack of early
warning signals, high cost of adaptation,
fragile ecosystems, etc
Nigeria Climate Campaign

The Nigerian Environmental Study/Action
Team (NEST), in collaboration with the FME,
Nigeria, and support from the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA)
implemented a project on Public Awareness
raising on climate change.
 The Climate Campaign was borne out of a
needs assessment of what would be done to
address climate change issues in Nigeria.
The study spanned from 2001 – 2003.
Need for Awareness

The need to make information available
timely, and in a forms that make meaning to
identified stakeholders;
 Reality of climate change in Nigeria vary
according to ecological zone in Nigeria.
 NGOs were given grants to do climate
change related activities in communities.
 focused group and roundtable discussions
held for men and women of 75 years, mostly
local farmers
Conclusions

People accepted that something was wrong
with the whether system, Communities
blamed it on: lack of respect for elders;
abandonment traditional religions; lack of
respects for the gods, annoyance from the
gods, etc. One man actually blamed the elite
(you and I) for this entire problem;
 People agreed that climate issue is complex
and difficult;
 Showed that society faces many imminent
threats, than what lie so far in the future
Conclusions (contd.)

Nigerians realize that Climate issue is
important, but are negative as regards
making a personal commitment
 Important to communicate in a way that make
people to relate the issue to everyday living.
It is also important to point out individual
solutions
 Communication strategies vary from one
group to another, use pictorials for
consequences
 We also noticed that Climate issue is yet not
on the media’s agenda
Conclusions (contd.)





There are currently many people involved
with the climate issue, but there is no
coordinated work in this area
Involving media coverage in all campaigns is
key
Climate change language is very technical;
there is paucity of human resources to waterdown these terms for easy understanding.
Policy makers want facts to show that Climate
Change is real, before policy formulation
Incorporation, of key issues as poverty
Conclusion (contd.)

“Experience has shown that public
awareness initiatives have not yielded the
required impacts. Awareness raising on
issues that impact on humanity, MUST have a
‘human face’ in its dissemination.” – Damian
Ihedioha, 2003

Thank you