Date: 2014-12-10

Senator Bukola Saraki,Chairman Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology has appealed to the United Nations Development Program for adequate funding to combat Climate Change in Nigeria especially as it relates to environmental sanitation, degradation, forestry, agriculture, power and other related climate change problems in the country.

While making the remarks at the United Nations framework convention on climate change otherwise known as Conference of Parties in Lima, Peru in Southern America. Senator Saraki who was represented by Alhaji Fatai Jimoh, Clerk of the Committee and Kingsley Amaku Senior Legislative Aide from the legislative angle promised to collaborate with his colleagues in the National Assembly to establish a UNDP/NASS multisectoral committee on climate change that will seek for additional funds to support the Federal government efforts on the endemic problem of climate change in Nigeria.

The multisectoral committee if established will ensure judicious allocation and utilization of any grant released to the country.

Senator Saraki also charged the Federal Government to take the issue of climate change very seriously in order to promote a conducive and friendly environment so as to encourage local entrepreneurs and facilitate foreign investors.

In this same vein, the Chairman advised the international body(UN) to shift its paradigm from negotiations to full implementation 20 years after its inauguration.

Finally, Senator Saraki tasked the federal government through the Hon Minister of Environment to provide enabling environment of hosting the 22nd edition of the Conference in the year 2016.This became imperative when the hosting right have been granted to Africa more so when South Africa had hosted it in 2012 and Nigeria is yet to host the conference.