Budget documents for the past four years show that the Nigerian government has allotted about N200.6 million for raising public awareness for climate change and its effects on the ecosystem. However, many Nigerians are not aware of climate change and its impact on the ecosystem.
According to an Afrobarometer survey, 65.4 percent of 1,599 respondents claimed no knowledge of climate change and how it affected the ecosystem.
Climate change has continued to affect the ecosystem, causing significant variations in average weather conditions. From 1901 to 2020, global temperatures increased by around 1.98°F (1.1°C).
The pace of sea level rise has risen, and there has been a 25 percent increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since 1958. There was also a 40 percent rise during the Industrial Revolution.
Sensitisation and awareness are among the Nigerian government’s strategies to combat climate change challenges. A greater understanding of how climate change affects health can aid individuals in changing their behaviour and supporting society’s efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions, analysts say. Unfortunately, many are not getting value for the climate change awareness programmes that have been embarked upon by the government.
Afrobarometer polled 1,599 adult Nigerians between January 20 and February 13, 2020, and found that 65.4 percent of the sample had never heard of climate change, with rural areas having the highest non-hearing rates.
Urban dwellers had a higher rate of hearing about climate change than rural areas, but they make up about 29.5 percent of the sample population. Around 4.7 percent of the sample population did not know if they had heard of climate change or not, with 0.4 percent of the sample saying they refused to learn about it.
The highest allocation for raising awareness for climate change was highest in 2020.
“The total amount spent on awareness of climate change is challenging to quantify because some of these funds come in the form of grants,” Coordinator of the POP Nigeria campaign, Sam Okorie, told Dataphyte.
Additionally, it was necessary to document grants and money for climate change received from national and international organisations, he said.
For a communications expert, Mr Bala Augue, government agencies must begin to utilise traditional means of communications in rural communities.
“Use of local languages, traditional rulers and community leaders has become very important,” he said.
“It is also important that the government agencies deploy the selective communication method. They can simply identify farming communities in the North and ensure an average farner understands the impact of climate change on their crops and sorroundings. That way, it will be strategic, efficient and cost-effective” he added.
This report was produced in fulfilment of the UNESCO & CIJ London Climate Change in News Media project facilitated by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.