It was a beehive of activities at the International Conference Centre of the Unvèrsity of Ibadan Nigeria during the week when experts world over converged to reiterate the need by all and sundry to take urgent action on climate change and it’s obvious effects.
At a Two – Day Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation in Africa organised by the University of Ibadan Center for Sustainable Development (UI-CESDEV) in colaboration with International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP),Hamburg University of Applied Science (Germany ) and Manchester Metropolitan University (UK),with the theme “Enhancing Africa’s Capacity to Cope With Climate Change “,experts took turn to speak on the reality of climate change.
Keynote speech was delivered by Prof Walter Leal of the Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom,and HAW Hamburg,Germany as other speakers who includes Dr Desalegn Ayal of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia , Dr Adeola Aderomola,University of Pretoria, South Africa ,Dr Ousmane Badiane,International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI -ReSAKSS) also lent their voices to the reality of climate change and the need for Africa to be positioned for resilience and adaptation.
Others special guests were Prof Olabode Popoola,Vice Chancellor, Osun State University, Osogbo,Nigeria, Oyo State Commisioner for Environment and Water Resources,Ambassador Oluseyi Onafowokan,Former Nigeria High Commission to Ghana.
The Monday programme ended with a welcome cocktail where all the delegates were hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka as an avenue for networking and socialisation while launching the initiative on Interconnections for Making Africa Great, Empowered and Sustainable (IMAGES)l.
After the series of activities that marked the first day,Tuesday programme started with a three planting exercise,in the company of Prof. Olanrewaju Olaniyan,Director,Centre for Sustainable Development,all claded in branded T-shirt,other stakeholders with the support of BOVAS and Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources planted 120 trees round the city of Ibadan to offset carbon.
Co-Chairman, Organising Committee for the event, Dr Olawale E. Olayide, in a press statement made available to Devcom Nigeria said the symposium was unique and packed with a lot of scientific, sponsored and social sessions.
In accordance to his statement, the scientific session featured technical presentations from renowned scholars within and outside the continent of Africa with sub-themes such as Implementing Climate Change Adaptation in Rural Areas and Communities, Cities, Countries and via Outreach Programmes; Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience and Hazards (including droughts/floods); Climate Change and Agriculture Session: Information, Communication, Education and Training on Climate Change; and Climate Change and Health.
According to Dr. Olayide, the sponsored sessions were Climate-Smart Agriculture & Data Challenge by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Socio-ecological Transformation and Climate Change in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES); Assessing Resilience to Climate Change in Africa by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa by Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.
Dr. Olayide who was most grateful to welcome the delegates noted that 13 countries ((Sudan, Niger, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa, Cameroun, Benin, Ghana, Senegal and the United Kingdom) were represented at the symposium.
