COP18 (30/11/12) – Zaid Shopeju, Project Director at Zero Carbon Africa talks about their work in trying to boost the awareness of environmental degradation and climate change in Nigeria. He says just 1% of the Nigerian population are aware of such issues.
He says that while many people are experiencing the impact of climate change they can not relate that to the science.
He uses the example of oil spills in the Niger Delta that he says are impacting the health and lives of local people and communities. He cites a report that put the oil spill clean up at $1 billion dollars, taking 30 years to complete.
He says people have to be held to account and stresses the disappointment that young people in the country have in their government for not taking an active role in holding the companies exploiting the region for oil to account for the spills.
He talks about the aims of his organisation to build awareness of environmental degradation, and follow that up with action. He said the overall aim is to build a grassroots movement of community and indigenous people in Nigeria and eventually across Africa.