Raise your voices on climate change -
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has charged youth of Nigeria to be ambassadors and champions in advocating for climate change issues. Speaking during a twitter chat as part of his visit to Nigeria, the UN scribe urged Nigerian and African youth to play their part in preserving the climate. “Youth should say this is our world, this is where we live and we should preserve it”; he stated. Mr. Ki-moon who was in Nigeria to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) added that, “arguments on whether climate change is important or not is over.”
The social media event which was held in Abuja was convened by the United Nations Millennium Campaign on behalf of the United Nations System in Nigeria and attended by youth leaders and young entrepreneurs working in the field of sustainable development. The event provided opportunity for the UN Chief to explain the SDGs, its prospects and the key roles African youth would play in the implementation of the new global agenda. It featured question and answer sessions from youth representatives and was followed by millions of twitter audience worldwide.
In his opening statement, the United Nations Secretary-General stated that youth issues were amongst the top five priorities of his second term. He regretted that despite their potentials, millions of youth worldwide are jobless, hence the importance of putting youth at the centre of the SDGs.
On their role in addressing climate change, the UN Secretary-General charged young people, saying “raise your voices on climate change and hold your governments accountable.” Continuing, he called on the entire humanity to recognise the importance of protecting the planet; stating: “we have a duty to nurture our nature. We should not fight our nature. We cannot defeat nature.” He called for a change of attitude to renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse emission. He added that Nigeria being the largest country in Africa with lots of natural resources, should lead by example. He called for the West African nation to invest in sustainable and renewable energy.
He stated that through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the foundation for global commitments to eradicating poverty, diseases and ensuring environmental sustainability was laid. He commended Nigeria for the progress made in saving human lives from unnecessary deaths and preventable diseases such as HIV/AIDS. He said that the death rates occasioned by HIV/AIDS has been reduced by more than 50% since 2013. The UN Chief praised Nigeria for not recording any new incidence of polio for a year and announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) is embarking on processes aimed at declaring Nigeria polio free.
The Secretary-General acknowledged that scorecards for the MDGs are uneven globally. “Some countries are doing well and have achieved the goals, others have some goals unachieved. We are carrying over most of the goals into the SDGs with 17 goals which cover all spectrums of our lives;” he stated. While calling for support for the SDGs, the UN scribe stated: “the sooner we engage in sustainable path the better for our world”.
Talking about climate change is good o.......but I can't be telling that story to those in the bokoharam war zone, those begging on the streets, even those wey neva see food chop for house, those with illnesses.............
ReplyDeletepeople are faced with a loy of challenges......climate change is like the last thing on our minds....beside while there is still oil exploration in naija....and no one is talking of healthier ways of doing it climate change/global warming go still dey
Abeg, Nigerian Youths have better things to worry about: Unemployment, poverty and co.
ReplyDelete@nzube.lolz
DeleteMy dear, it will get to a point where all these things will become unnecessary because the environmental damage will be too much to bear and the climatic change will affect the turn of things. All the generator fumes and car fumes and bush burning fumes and oil drilling spills will make the country unbearable for those Nigerian youths to live. What's more? the unemployment level will be even higher. Just go and read on sustainable development and see some statistics that will humble you. #GoGreen,employ the use of renewable energy, it starts from you!!!
DeleteWe are talking about employment opportunities and dis one is talking about climate change.
ReplyDeleteSee me see story o
ReplyDeleteOk.Seen
ReplyDeleteTHELMA ENEMUWE said..
ReplyDeleteNa who chop belleful go dey talk about climate change not the hungry looking fellows who don't know where their next meals will come from..
*faithful BV enemuwe thelma*
THELMA ENEMUWE said..
ReplyDeleteNa who chop belleful go dey talk about climate change not the hungry looking fellows who don't know where their next meals will come from..
*faithful BV enemuwe thelma*