The Change Is Here!

The first quarter of the year in Nigeria has always been noted as usually the hottest period with regards to weather variability and default seasonal pattern. This period is usually characterized with high solar intensity and consequently high temperature build-up which in a lot of ways causes a great deal of discomfort to people. However, the hot period is often short termed as the raining season breaks the hot cycle with the usually long wet months which invariably usher in the period of plenty (Food production).

However, the first quarter of 2016 has recorded the hottest so far in this part of the world. The temperature was unusually higher than favorably normal while the accompanied heat wave broke every precedent record.  And just as if the physiological discomfort is not enough, some food items have taken on the side of becoming very out of reach for the common man. An instance is that of the common and once affordable tomato fruit that has now become so scarce and expensive to obtain and now could be temporary classified as food for the rich. Now that all seem like the most unlikely year with the unusual unfolding events, it is just reasonable to realize that the problem at hand is quite an interconnected one with a pointer in the direction of the changing climate.

Inferences and insights on the prevailing Agro-weather situation in the country as described in the preceding paragraphs show a lot of link with the direct impact of climate change on the weather condition and at the same time on food production. In a lot of ways, this period seem to have presented a perfect platform to show the vivid picture of what climate change is and of course its related impacts to the hard-to-crack or rather ignorant Nigerians who overtime have found it difficult to reason out the phenomenon of the changing climate.

While the country is currently facing a steep downturn financially, climate change has further added to the hardship been faced by the teeming population as essential agro-dependent consumable provisions are becoming rather out of easy reach. Agricultural outputs have largely dwindled as a result of weather variability and in turn impairing food production and availability. Another probable climate linked impact is the now prevalent invasion of the Northern Fulani herdsmen in the south. The aridity status of the northern part of the country has led to the herdsmen southward’s migration in search of edible vegetation for their cattle and with this a number of farmlands have been destroyed and leveled aground. This has invariably led to a number of mortal clashes with farm owners.The herdsmen in turn, have recorded loss of lives and property.

The variability in weather condition on its own however has a rather constant attribute, heat build-up. This heat build-up arises from the ever rising temperature through the greenhouse effect. This escalating temperature in a way has been linked to some disease outbreak and spread among the human population and just in the same way, the incidental rise of pathogenic attack on plants and livestock. Such could be the case with the current problem with the availability of tomatoes in Nigeria. The problem has been linked to a disease outbreak (Tomato leaf miner disease) that has led to the destruction of about 40% of anticipated harvest.  The disease has been noted to be spreading at an alarming rate and this has even called for the declaration of a state of emergency in some parts of the northern states.

The leaf miner disease has been on a migratory trend with its point of origin in South America and now spreading fast through Europe and Africa. In the manner of considering the shifting trend of the global ecosystem as a result of climate change, some once localized latent disease have found possible conditions to assuming the status of full blown epidemics and an above average spread rate potential. The leaf miner disease is on rampage in Nigeria and to a great extent the possibility of the link with the impact of climate change is quite on the high side of certainty.

So, in the manner of the unfolding events in the country as of today, climate change seem to bare itself in its absolute nakedness and the clarity of its impacts is altogether becoming more obvious after all. Now seems just the time when the government needs to work out a way of facilitating extensive extension programs so as to accommodate the necessary awareness to effect practices that would ensure adequate adaptation to the changing climate. Also, it’s just the right time to speed up the passing of every necessary bill that would facilitate the activation of the template of adaptation and mitigation contained in the country’s submitted intended nationally determined contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Sincerely Yours Earthly

Dele oni