Kaduna, May 26, 2023 (NAN) The Network of Civil Society in Environment (NCSE) in Kaduna State has called on stakeholders to protect Africa’s resources and environment for the future generation.
The coordinator of the network, Ms Gloria Bulus made the call in a statement in Kaduna on Friday in commemoration of 2023 Africa Day, with the theme, “Our Africa our future”.
The Africa Day is commemorated annually on May 25, of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity on May 25, 1963.
According to her, stakeholders at different levels must make environmental protection a primary responsibility.
Bulus, who is also the Executive Director, Bridge that Gap Initiative, said: “Every day of Africa day; we need to celebrate our continent on a daily basis.
“We need to know our responsibility to Africa and invest in the future of this great continent. We must invest in young people as drivers of sustainable development for the future of Africa.
She said that the African continent possesses rich biodiversity and mineral resources and is blessed with great intellectuals who have contributed immensely to the world of science, technology, medicine, governance, diplomacy among others.
She said that from the heights of the Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to the depths of Lake Assal in central Djibouti, climate change was affecting the populace.
She said that the effects were evident in the rise in temperatures, erratic nature of rainfall patterns, desertification, and drought which significantly affects agricultural production, water resources, and food security.
“Climate change also impacts on our health, contributes to conflicts particularly farmer-herder crises and migration in the continent, particularly Nigeria.
“It is also important to note that climate change has intensified the scramble for scarce resources, and this can only be mitigated through collaborative efforts towards the realisation of a sustainable future for Africa.
“As we commemorate the day, let us be reminded that Africa’s future depends on our individual efforts towards developing and sustaining a continent capable of providing the necessary resources for posterity to survive,” she said.
