Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal has called on the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adopted Land Use (WASCAL) to be committed to building the capacity of Nigerians on climate change and energy transition.
The minister made the call this during a visit led by its Director, Dr Emmanuel Wendsongre Rande, in Abuja, where he pleged that they will continue to partner with them and others in their efforts to address climate change-related issues in the West African sub-region and Nigeria.
The Minister also noted that the ministry, under his watch will participate in the forthcoming International Conference on Climate Change in Nigeria, as well as the Ministerial Conference on Climate Change in Guinea Conakry later this year.
The Environment Minister used the forum to thank the German Government for funding WASCAL’s activities in the region and ensuring effective climate change and energy transitions in the West African sub-region.
He commended WASCAL for using two Nigerian universities, namely the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, and the Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, in providing scholarships for Nigerian students to study climate-related topics and conduct research in Nigeria.
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Earlier, Prof. Rande, the Executive Director of the WASCAL, disclosed that the organisation has produced over 60,000 climate change experts with first degrees, master’s, and PhDs from conventional universities.
The Director noted that their programmes also include research on the effect of climate change on the production of fertiliser, mining, agriculture, and more.
Prof. Emmanuel, however, solicited the support of the Ministry in hosting the International Conference on Climate Change in Nigeria and the Ministerial Conference on Climate Change in Conakry, Guinea, this year.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
