The National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Aminu Muazu Maifata has called for strategic, and result-oriented advocacy for the protecting the environment.
He said that to achieve this, all hands should be on deck especially leveraging on the political will of the tiers of government.
Maifata’s views were contained in his 2024 World Environment Day message on Wednesday.
In his view, when such is rightfully cascaded down to the doorsteps of the critical stakeholders like Community leaders, environmentalists, the Mass Media, Civil Society Organizations, Farmers, Schools, and other stakeholders, it insulates the rural space from several natural existential challenges.
He said that based on the understanding that everybody is a creation of either one local government or another, a need for all to close ranks and build synergy in conserving the natural habitat and protecting its significant features, including animals and vegetation from the rural end, is timely.
According to him, such represents a critical component of life that provides quality living conditions for the most vulnerable which is grassroots.
He appealed to the Federal government to continue to support the state and local governments with institutional framework, necessary environmental incentives, expert information on climate change adaptation, and mitigation for responsiveness of the rural communities.
He observed that issues like drought, flooding, rain schedules, and winter require sustained awareness, sensitization, and communication in the local environment to assist both its agricultural needs and its farming timelines and seasons for maximum productivity.
The ALGON boss said that efforts to ramp up awareness on deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, indiscriminate waste disposal, and pollution, including open defecation in the communities that are of grave consequences to macrobiotic existence, should dovetail more in the communities.
Hon. Maifata frowned at the rising cost of Agricultural products like Rice, Yam, Garri, Beans, and other cereals which partly share in the environmental impact.
He also urges the National Assembly to assist in making laws that will protect the rural defenseless farmers, just like the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural that offers soft loans to farmers to mitigate shocks amongst other interventions.
He noted that all hands must be on deck with broad attention to the communities to safeguard the environment and preserve humanity.
It will be recalled that every 5th of June marks the celebration of the World Environment Day under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which dates back to June 1975. Sunrisereporters.
