Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri has said his state remains one of the most affected by climate change in Nigeria owing to the high level of carbon emissions and environmental degradation.
The governor made the assertion on Friday at the Bayelsa State Government House, Yenagoa, when a consultancy firm, Ecologistics Integrated Services (EIS), presented a report on the state’s participation at the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
While noting that the world was transiting from oil to cleaner energy, the governor called on environmental activists to partner with the government to attract the needed resources for the development of the state.
The governor explained that Bayelsa participated at COP26 as one of the most affected states by climate change and the conference provided an opportunity to take its challenges to the global platform.
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Diri noted that the state was blessed with abundant resources that needed to be harnessed through partnership and collaborations, adding that all concerned must be part of the process so that the state would not be left behind.
He thanked the consultants for making what he described as a comprehensive report on the state’s participation at the conference, noting that the government would work with them to explore other areas to improve its economy.
“Bayelsa State is one of the most affected by climate change in Nigeria. Bayelsa is at the epicentre in terms of climate change. Our people and environment have been affected” he said.
He recalled that the state had one of the worst oil spills in the world in Nembe community and that explains what people are suffering in the state.
“For us, that was an opportunity to take our issues to the world,” he said, “Let me use this opportunity to call on our environmental activists to be part of this process and ensure that we are not left out in this transition we are about to experience”.
He called on everyone to join hands with the state government and see what Bayelsa will make out of this transition in terms of the partnership, technical know-how and attracting the finances out there for our state.
