An advocate for ecological conservation and indigenous minorities’ rights, Ojumude Tosan Bishop has called on the Africa Diaspora in Climate Change Global Diplomacy to find a paradigm shift in its approach to “telling the Africa climate change story, from the continent as well as finding Africa-based solutions, with a view to make Africans the endpoint beneficiaries.”
Ojumude made the call while presenting a paper at the 10th Anniversary of the All-African Conference of the Centre for Africa American Research Studies (CAARS), with the theme “Diaspora Africa: Peace, Security and Development” at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He stated that the COP27 (2022 Climate Change Conference), currently taking place in Egypt with Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, should be considered as a well-built foundation for his suggested “Africa Inside-Out Climate Change Approach”.
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According to Ojumude, “the Africa Inside-Out Climate Change Approach is aimed at the realization of the African Union’s 2027 Continental Green Recovery Action Plan and the United Nations’ 2050 Net Zero (Race to Resilience – Race to Zero) via education/institutionalization, research, advocacy/public opinion, mentorship, partnership, and influence home government policies to focus on environmental conservation issues, in line with the Paris Agreement.”
While commending the Africa Diaspora in Climate Change Global Diplomacy for its indisputable contribution towards issues of climate change, the activist berated the continent’s leadership for its role in contributing to climate change issues, citing examples like “the burning down of small, unlicensed refineries and crude oil vessels used for illicit bunkering operations in Niger Delta creeks, as observed recently in Warri River, disregarding the long-term health effects as well as economic and social devastation on the locals, who are minority indigenous inhabitants.”
To implement the Africa Inside-out Climate Change Approach, Ojumude urged the African Diaspora to work with regional climate change organizations like the Institute of Mangrove Ecology and Environmental Technology, the Ecological Conservation Club (Eco Con Club), and others.
This story was adapted from Vanguard.
