President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria is already experiencing the negative fallout of climate change seen in the flooding in different parts of the country, as well as encroaching desertification and drought from the northern part.
The President made this observation at an audience he granted the former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, on the sidelines of the First World Bio Summit 2022.
The President expressed delight with the cooperation existing between Nigeria and the Republic of Korea, especially in the area of energy supply, citing gas exports to the Asian country.
Describing education as a key investment in addressing unemployment and under-development, the President also noted that health challenges must be equally addressed.
On his part, the former Secretary-General, who is the Chairman of Ban Ki-Moon Foundation for Better Future, and strong advocate for Climate Change remediation, sympathised with President Buhari over the flooding, while calling for more investment to improve education, avert environmental degradation, and preventive diseases to meet the core Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
He thanked President Buhari for attending the World Bio Summit, adding that his presence would highlight the importance of global action and co-operation in the development of vaccines and technology to meet the huge threat and challenges of pandemics.
Noting that Nigeria is a very important country having prominent citizens occupying sensitive positions in global organisations, Ban Ki-Moon called for more people-to-people engagements and cultural co-operation between both countries, even as he sought Nigeria’s support in Korea’s bid to host an EXPO in 2030.
Speaking on his pet project, the ex-UN Scribe said his Global Centre on Adaptation was trying to mobilise resources to help developing countries fight climate change, as he urged donor countries to fulfil their financial commitments to the Global Climate Fund.
President Buhari and his guest also discussed the role of gender equality towards attaining a prosperous society, while calling for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Bello Wakili
