Climate Change In Nigeria Research Articles

Examining Yam Production in Response to Climate Change in Nigeria: A Co-Integration Model Approach

This study addressed yam production in response to climate change in Cross River State using a co-integration model approach. The specific objectives of this paper are to analyze the trend in yam production, annual precipitation, and annual temperature, and to analyze the impact of climate variables on yam production. Time-series data from 1996 to 2017 was used. Based on the analysis, which constituted a linear trend analysis, co-integration test, and error correction model, the study came up with robust findings. The linear trend analysis for yam production revealed a steady increase in output between the years 2005 and 2016. The result of the rainfall trend analysis showed the presence of rainfall variability and irregularity. The trend line for temperature showed an overall downward trend for the period under study. However, the Error Correction Model result showed that temperature was statistically significant and negatively impacted yam production. The study recommends that policymakers should take appropriate steps to encourage the development of pest- and disease-tolerant yam varieties because an increase in temperature leads to the proliferation of insects, pests, and diseases.

Climate Change and Potential Environmental Hazards with Perspective Adaptation Technologies in Nigeria, A review

Climate change is a global phenomenon with multifarious unique regional consequences. Contemporary studies have established Climate change as a product of anthropogenic activities. Studies have linked extreme weather events, heat waves, increase pollution, crop failure as some of the many discernable effects of climate change. Hence, the spatial temporal effects of Climate change are of concern to policy makers, researchers, innovators and the entire public to develop veritable mitigation strategies. This paper examines climate change in Nigeria as a case study; the research adopted desk research method to collect secondary data from literature about hazards caused by climate change and potential adaptation strategies in Nigeria. The findings revealed that a potential environmental hazard caused by climate change in Nigeria includes that of biological, chemical, physical, mechanical and psycho-social. Moreover, this review further showed adaptation technologies that can be used in adapting and mitigating climate change in Nigeria.

Effects of climate change on grain productivity in Nigeria (1970-2014)

This study examines the effect of climate change on the yield for four main grain crops in Nigeria (sorghum, maize, millet and rice) over the period 1970-2014. Cobb Douglas and Maximum Likelihood Estimation were explored to obtain reliable estimates. Results suggests that climate have diversified effects on grain yield and variability which shows that as the climate becomes warmer, higher yield variability can be observed on these selected crops. In addition more rainfall increases the yield variability on sorghum, maize, millet and rice. The increasing variation on rainfall also increased crop yield variability on rice. Based on the empirical findings it can be concluded that climate change, through an increase in actual average temperature and changing rainfall pattern has resulted to a decline in productivity of most food grain crops. This effect varies within crops and there is need to adapt different policies for various crops to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change in Nigeria.

Environmental Literacy Education: A Means for Curbing the Effect of Climate Change

This paper sought to bring to light the truth that environmental literacy education is the process of displaying a set of understanding, skills, attitudes and habits of mind that empowers the individuals to relate to their environment in a positive fashion as to maintain or restore sustainable relationship with others and the entire environment; the ability and willingness to make environmental decisions which are consistent with both quality of the environment and quality of human life. It examined the characteristics of an environmentally-literate person and the levels of environmental literacy. It also exposed the essence of climate change such as man’s radical exploration and exploitation of the environment; causes of climate change as rapid industrialisation; agriculture; emission of carbon-dioxide among other things; its effects like ozone depletion, desertification, deforestation, biodiversity Loss among others; and why environmental literacy education could be employed as a tool to curb the effect of climate change in Nigeria and the world in general. The following among others were seen as a way forward to protect the lives and the environment against the effects of climate change: those who are vulnerable to flood should open drainages around them; reconstruct roads with better drainages and stop building along water ways to prevent reoccurrence of the effects of climate change. Key Words: environmental literacy education, climate change

Geospatial analysis of Maize yield vulnerability to climate change in Nigeria

The fifth assessment report (AR5) predicted that land temperatures would rise faster over Africa than other global averages while changes in rainfall are uncertain across Sub-Saharan Africa. These portend water availability challenges with direct impacts on agricultural production. Existing studies on yield vulnerability in Nigeria are mostly at a national scale, which is not adequate for local decision making. This study provides a spatially explicit model of Maize yield vulnerabilities across the growing areas (GA). Thereby, turning available data into actionable information to support development actions. Yield vulnerability index was constructed as a relationship among exposure, yield sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Exposure was computed as the ratio between long and short-term climatic factors. Yield sensitivities were expressed as the ratio between expected and actual yield. Adaptive capacity was captured using a combination of socio-economic proxies. The result shows that Maize yields were vulnerable to climate variability across most of the GAs. Exposure values indicate a very high level of climate variability with the northern region more exposed. Yield sensitivity ranges between ranges 0.47 and 0.95, and highest along the northern extremes, moderate sensitivities were observed across large tracts of the north-west, northeast, south-east and south–south geopolitical regions. Adaptive capacity is highly variable ranging between 0.27 and 1. Yield vulnerability ranges between 0.46 and 1.51. The general assumption of a north–south divide for yield vulnerability was invalidated. Vulnerability is more disparate beyond latitudinal differences. The model presented, creates a framework to support targeted response, and opportunity for building resilience to climate change impact for crop yield.

Modeling and Forecasting Periodic Time Series data with Fourier Autoregressive Model

Most frequently used models for modeling and forecasting periodic climatic time series do not have the capability of handling periodic variability that characterizes it. In this paper, the Fourier Autoregressive model with abilities to analyze periodic variability is implemented. From the results, FAR(1), FAR(2) and FAR(2) models were chosen based on Periodic Autocorrelation function (PeACF) and Periodic Partial Autocorrelation function (PePACF). The coefficients of the tentative model were estimated using a Discrete Fourier transform estimation method. FAR(1) models were chosen as the optimal model based on the smallest values of Periodic Akaike (PAIC) and Bayesian Information criteria (PBIC). The residual of the fitted models was diagnosed to be white noise. The in-sample forecast showed a close reflection of the original rainfall series while the out-sample forecast exhibited a continuous periodic forecast from January 2019 to December 2020 with relatively small values of Periodic Root Mean Square Error (PRMSE), Periodic Mean Absolute Error (PMAE) and Periodic Mean Absolute Percentage Error (PMAPE). The comparison of FAR(1) model forecast with AR(3), ARMA(2,1), ARIMA(2,1,1) and SARIMA( 1,1,1)(1,1,1)12 model forecast indicated that FAR(1) outperformed the other models as it exhibited a continuous periodic forecast. The continuous monthly periodic rainfall forecast indicated that there will be rapid climate change in Nigeria in the coming yearly and Nigerian Government needs to put in place plans to curtail its effects.

Mainstreaming Climate Change into the EIA Process in Nigeria: Perspectives from Projects in the Niger Delta Region

Climate change incorporation in environmental assessment is a growing research area, particularly following the Paris agreement. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is considered in many quarters to be an important tool in factoring climate-related components in the planning and design of a project. However, many recent researches have shown that EIA has, so far, struggled in the attempt to incorporate climate change into its procedures. This study is an attempt to evaluate the level of consideration of climate change in the EIA process in Nigeria, with particular focus on the Niger Delta region. The result of this quantitative research shows that there is a poor political will to address climate change, as reflected in the absence of climate change requirements in the EIA guidelines of Nigeria. Although, there is a growing trend in the pattern of consideration of climate change in the EIA procedures, the overall level of consideration is still a far cry from the requirements if EIA is to be considered to be an important tool in addressing challenges of climate change in Nigeria.

Investigation of possible connections between solar activity and climate change in Nigeria

Over the years, several attempts were made to establish the possible link by which solar activity influenced climate change. However, the physical mechanism for these relationships has been the major challenge. In this research, we investigate the relationship between solar/geomagnetic activity and cosmic rays, the connection between cosmic rays and cloud covers and finally, cloud covers and climatic parameters. This is the proposed physical mechanism used in this study to investigate how solar activity influenced climate change in Nigeria. Sunspot number, aa index, galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), rainfall and maximum temperature data were used in this study. The time period under investigation in this study spanned for 63 years (1950–2012). Spearman’s rank correlation technique was employed in analyzing the data. Results reveal that sunspot number and aa index varied in the opposite direction with GCRs based on the 11-year solar cycle. This inverse relationship was confirmed from the correlation analysis. This depicts that solar and geomagnetic activities modulate cosmic rays penetrating into the Earth’s atmosphere. Furthermore, the relationship between cosmic rays and cloud covers is yet to be fully ascertained in this study. This has limited the proposed physical mechanism that this study hoped to establish. However, the variations of cloud covers with rainfall and temperature show that changes in cloud covers are associated with changes in rainfall and temperature. This study has given useful information on the possible links by which solar activity could influence climate change.

Climate Change for Sustainable Development: The Imperative of Indigenous Language Approach as a Remedy

Human activities have continued to increase the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases resulting in additional warming of the earth’s surface and the general atmosphere. One of the major threats to the global order in the present century is climate change. Climate change is one of the most important menaces to earth’s biodiversity, natural resources, poverty eradication etc., posing a threat to livelihoods and poverty reduction. The abounding evidence of global climate change can no longer be ignored. There is therefore the need to reinforce the management of risk as well as proactive actions in addressing climate change issues. Considering the negative impact of the menace of climate change on development, the ecosystem and mankind, this work appraises those measures put in place to checkmate the rising tide of greenhouse gas emission. To this end, this paper will study Nigeria’s environmental legal framework which will enable Nigeria’s ecosystem to naturally adapt to climate change that will lead to sustainable economic development. This paper found that Nigeria is ill-prepared to combat the challenges of climate change. Existing legal and institutional frameworks for the regulation of climate change in Nigeria are in fragmented forms while laws and implementation strategies for environmental protection concerning climate change in Nigeria are incoherent. This paper also found that there are no effective infrastructures to monitor and enforce climate change issues and that indigenous people are not well acquainted with the threats posed by climate change as a result of lack of effective communication posed by language barrier. This poses a challenge to the slogan of “acting for the long-term in a short-term world.” This paper concludes that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive framework that will create adequate awareness of the challenges of climate change, inclusively, to ensure proper understanding of citizens, so as to effectively regulate climate change in Nigeria. Hence, the indigenous language approach of this paper.

Patriarchy and Women Vulnerability to Adverse Climate Change in Nigeria

The article explored the linkages between patriarchy and the high rate of women’s vulnerability to climate change. It examined how traditional beliefs, which underpin cultural division of roles between men and women, also increase the vulnerability of women to the adverse impacts of climate change. The article argued that the centralization of activities of women to occupations such as small-scale and rain-fed agriculture makes them more vulnerable to climate-related problems than the men. The article relied on desk review of secondary data. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Using Nigeria as a case study, the article showed how patriarchy paves way for high rate of exposure of women to adverse impacts of climate change. Patriarchy equips men with stronger adaptive capability, especially in the area of vocational flexibility and mobility. The study concludes that efforts made to avert undue exposure of women to climate change disasters must seek to address patriarchy and the structural issues arising from the confinement of women to livelihoods, which are vulnerable to climate change disasters.

Influence of climate and environmental change in Nigeria: a review on vulnerability and adaptation to climate change.

This paper reviews the current issues that involve environmental changes in Nigeria and environmental threats within the country. The fundamental aim of scientific knowledge in environmental studies is to reconcile climate change and environmental sustainability with developmental goals. Therefore, information on impact adaptation to climate change and vulnerability research is required to develop specific, action-oriented, interdisciplinary, successful, sociopolitical and democratic reform for the entire population of a country. This condition requires large inclusion of environmental researchers, institutions, re-inventing of research structures and ideas to dominate the global environmental change research and the critical analysis of present decision making, power, structure and related information structures. This review presents the effect of climate change in Nigeria and encourages adaptation research with challenging innovation, such as the use of energy-efficient renewable energy sources to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper also highlighted the need for researchers to become detailed, action oriented and multiscalar and to attend communications structure problems in enhancing the environmental activity.

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD CROP PRODUCTION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

The Earth's temperature is rising as a result of increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. As the Earth warms, currently wet regions are expected to receive more rainfall, and currently dry regions receive less. Nigeria and indeed Northern Nigeria is not an exception. Crop production is one of the most vulnerable systems and heavily affected by climate change in Nigeria and more particularly in the Northern part of the country where the presence and prevalence of drought is mostly felt. Crops are mostly flooded and are rendered less productive by flood, in addition to extensive dependence on rainfed farming coupled with high poverty level of the people of the region. Major crops cultivated in the region include groundnuts, beans, cotton, soybeans, sesame, cashew nuts, mango, cassava, yam, gum arabic, maize (corn), melon, millet, , plantains, rice, sorghum, bananas, yams, pepper, coffee, carrots, sugarcane, soybeans, with major producing states of soybeans as Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Kwara, Jigawa, Taraba, Borno, Benue, Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau, Zamfara and Abuja FCT are now facing yield depreciation. Most of these crops are facing problems such as flower abortions, wrong flowering and fruiting time and generally low yields due to the effects of climate change. As rainfall becomes more variable, farmers no longer are able to rely on their knowledge of the seasonality of climatic variables. It is recommended that, series of awareness in terms of seminars, symposiums, farmers field days should be conducted to the farmers to enlighten them on the knowledge of modern techniques of crop production, such as the use of early maturating seeds, drought resistance varieties and more especially the use of irrigation in order to boost crop production in the region. Weather focused information should be made available to the farmers in the form of short message (SMS) in addition to informing them on weather both in print media.

Food security in the era of climate change in Nigeria

This study highlights the various effects climate change has on the availability of food for the teeming populace of Nigeria to ensure food security. Developing countries are plagued by inadequate access to good quality and quantity of food to ensure growth and development, thereby resulting into a lot of challenges like malnutrition, health issues, infant mortality, and migration to other areas. The current practice of Agriculture in Nigeria was taken into consideration, the impact it has on the entire population and the effects climate change has on it. Nigeria, like most other developing countries, is affected in a very important and critical manner by the adverse effects of environmental crises, most of which are direct influences of climate change and this change in the long run has effect on food security. The study recommended that infrastructural facilities, social interventions in the form of food aid, and policies which encourage agricultural production should be put in place in rural areas to help reduce the incidence of rural-urban migration and to encourage agricultural production so as to ensure that all the citizens of the country are food secured.

Ozone Layer Depletion and Climate Change in Nigeria - Problems and Prospects: A Review

Nigerians are facing a serious global environmental problem and there is a widespread concern that the ozone layer which is bringing out terrible deterioration thus contributes to climatic change and global warming. This study made use of relevant already published data of the nature and effect of climate change in Nigeria. The objective of this paper is to review and examine how ozone layer depletion and climate change acts as a threat to Nigerians and strategies that should be elucidated to reduce this phenomenon. The review established the fact that climate change has adverse effect in Nigeria especially in gas flaring region, Nigeria Delta area. Nigeria generally is known as a highly industrialised country and a recent study reports that Nigeria have over one hundred and twenty three (123) gas flaring sites making her one of the highest emitters greenhouse gases in Africa. The World Bank (2008) revealed that Nigeria accounts for roughly one-sixth of worldwide gas flaring. There are sparse rainfall thereby making food production difficult in Northern part of Nigeria, Uncontrolled logging, people in Niger Delta region are experiencing oil exploration and exploration, deforestation and bush burning in the southern Nigeria leading to acid rain, urbanization with increasing risk of disease and rising cost of extreme weather damage. The impacts of which are already felt all over the country.

The Challenges of Climate Change and the Culpability of Churches: Towards an Effective Church Climate Change Action in Nigeria

This study discussed the culpability and liturgical indifference of the church towards the challenge of climate change in Nigeria. This was done with a view to creating a niche for the church in the process of climate change mitigation and adaptation in the country. Using a phenomenological method, the study revealed the following: Firstly, many rural agro-based communities along the Coastal, Savanna and Sahel ecological zones of the country are already suffering the severity of climate change impacts. Secondly, the church in Nigeria has shown little or no commitment towards the mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the country. The study therefore, challenged the church to rise to the ecological need of the time by practically intervening in the process of mitigation and adaptation to the impacts of climate change in Nigeria. The study suggested, among other things, two-fold intervention praxes for the church. These included Awareness Creation (AC) and Care for Climate Change Victims (CCCVs).

Seasonal pH and carbondioxide level as indicator of vulnerability of fresh and marine aquatic systems to climate change in Nigeria

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations over the past two centuries have led to greater CO2 uptake by the oceans; raising concern over the current and future effects it may have on world climates. Certain changes are already evident but the impact of these changes on marine and coastal living resources is only poorly understood at this stage, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed seasonal dissolved carbon dioxide and pH of fresh and marine aquatic systems in Nigeria. Dissolved CO2 was non-significantly (p=0.07) higher in freshwater during the wet season (20±7ppm) compared to dry season (15 ± 1ppm), while in the marine system, dissolved CO2 level was significantly (p=0.02) higher (42±6ppm) during the dry season compared to the rainy season (31±5ppm). Mean pH values was significantly higher (p=0.003 and 0.05) in freshwater (6.8±0.8 and 6.9±0.2ppm) relative to marine (6.2±0.2 and 6.5±0.3ppm) during wet and dry seasons, respectively. The pH values were generally at the borderline of the acidic limit of the recommended pH values for aquaculture (6.5-9) during the two seasons. Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations over the past two centuries have led to a greater CO2 uptake by the oceans, acidification and consequently, saturation, thereby affecting the ocean’s continued ability to store CO2. This study therefore provides preliminary information on seasonal changes in CO2 and pH of fresh and marine systems in Nigeria; and their potential impacts on global climate and aquatic ecosystems.Keywords: Acidification, Aquatic system, Carbon dioxide, Climate change, Fresh water, Marine water

Mitigating Climate Change in Nigeria: African Traditional Religious Values in Focus

Climate change affects various countries in varying degree. Human activities have been observed to be a major contributor to climate change. Consequently, excessive heat, variation in rainfall pattern, rise in sea level, flooding, drought, erosion among others are been experienced in different countries of the world. In Nigeria climate change is obvious and the government has been battling to meet the challenges of mitigating this without much success. The search for more sustainable climate change mitigation strategies becomes necessary. The option of traditional religious practices and values in this regard has not been adequately explored. This is what the study sets out to achieve. Drawing data from literature and in-depth interviews, the study argues that some useful African traditional religious values and practices such as respect for the land divinity, maintenance of sacred groves and forest among others offer good and alternative strategies for climate change mitigation in Nigeria. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n6p299

Building an Effective Implementation Process to Nigeria's Climate Change Policies and Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC)

Human activities are gradually driving global change in population, consumption, technology, economic advances, and organization of human societies. These changes are likely to impact on the ecosystems, human systems, and urban systems which should challenge humanity to review or rethink activities that currently put the climate at risk. The phenomenon, climate change, is one that should concern everyone, and like an indigenous Rights Campaigner, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, stated: “Climate change is adding poverty to poverty every day, forcing many to leave home for a better future” Nigeria should be concerned about this fact as it is expected to be most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due its geographical location - in the tropics and with a long coastline; predictions of States like Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, etc turning to deserts and semi deserts in the 21st Century; destruction of the Niger-Delta region where 80% of all government revenues and 97% of Nigerian foreign exchange come from; increased floods; scarcity of usable water; land degradation, and its low capacity to adapt to these changes. It is believed that where the situation remains business-as-usual, its impact could be vast. Nigeria has shown commitment in combating climate change by signing and ratifying various international laws on climate change and developing policies to pursue its climate change plan and strategy. More so and just recently, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Paris Treaty on Climate, a legally-binding global climate deal entered into in December, 2015 to wit - The Paris Climate Conference (COP21). The universal agreement for the Conference was to keep a global temperature rise below 20C and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.50C above pre-industrial level. Nigeria demonstrated commitment to the success of the Conference by submitting an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) which was approved by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015. The INDC is a key vehicle for governments to communicate, internationally, how it intends to cut down emissions for the post-2020 period. Like other policy documents on climate change, it is important that these sophisticated policies are supported with strong implementation mechanisms to bring about desirable results. The lack of implementation of existing policies is a bane to the development of climate systems and services. This can be attributed to lack of awareness, adequate financing, top-down policy approach, lack of an independent enforcing agency, and so on. This article looks critically at why Nigeria should get serious, existing legal and policy framework for climate change in Nigeria, national actions on climate change - the work so far, implementation challenges of climate change policies, and building an effective implementation process for climate change policies and the INDC.

“Climate change and recent severe flooding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria”

This paper considered the phenomenon of climate change in relation to frequent and intensified flood problems in Uyo, the Capital City of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Empirical evidence on the onset of climate change in Nigeria was presented. Flood problems worldwide were highlighted, together with their impacts in terms of deaths, economic losses and associated human sufferings. To this end, a detailed rainfall analysis was conducted for the study area, Uyo, using statistical distributions commonly deployed to describe climate states, such as the mean, the running mean, the standard deviation, coefficient of variability, skewness, and kurtosis, as well as, parametric statistics such as Kruskal-Wallis test and ANOVA. Results showed that recent rainfall amounts and patterns in Uyo were out of step with long-term mean conditions. For instance the 2005-2014 mean rainfall was 22% above the 30-year mean from 1985 to 2014. The rainfall Skewness and Kurtosis showed significant swings in the central tendency and confirmed the establishment of a new mean and a new standard deviation in the 2005-2014 decade. These trends were further confirmed to be statistically significant by Post Hoc Test at the 0.05 level. The implication of these findings is that rainfall is adding more water to surface runoff, leading to incessant, severe flood conditions. Although some effort has been made to reduce the incidence of flooding in Uyo through the provision of drains and storm sewers (pipe-jacking), a lot more needs to be done in terms of provision of infiltration surfaces (green areas) through sustainable urban renewal programme. Climate change mitigation options such as reducing gas flaring, bush burning, and fossil fuel combustion are recommended.Keywords: Climate Change; Flooding; Pipe-Jacking; Green Areas.

Climate Smart Aquaculture: A Sustainable Approach to Increasing Fish Production in the Face of Climate Change in Nigeria

As the global population increases, demand for food, most especially protein will increase. Production from fisheries is crucial for food security in the face of current population increase. Despite the reliability on fisheries and aquaculture to supply the animal protein needed by the world population, climate change has significantly reduced production and increase instability in the sector. In order to achieve food security and fisheries development goal, climate smart aquaculture which is an adaptation to climate change and lower emission intensities per output will be necessary. This review therefore discusses climate smart aquaculture as veritable approach to increasing fish production in the face of climate change trend in Nigeria.