By George Ozalla
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chief Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, has declared that climate change is no longer merely an environmental challenge but a human rights issue, saying its devastating effects are increasingly threatening the lives, livelihoods and dignity of millions of Nigerians.
Ojukwu made the assertion in Abuja during the inauguration of the National Working Group on Human Rights and Climate Change, where he urged policymakers and stakeholders to place people at the centre of Nigeria’s climate response.
According to him, climate change should no longer be viewed only through the lens of rising temperatures and environmental degradation, but by its direct impact on human lives.
“It is not just about rising temperatures. It is about people. It is about families losing their homes, farmers losing their livelihoods, communities being uprooted and vulnerable people falling deeper into poverty,” he said.
The NHRC boss stressed that every climate policy should be guided by one fundamental question: “How does it affect people?” He noted that the answer to that question should shape decisions aimed at protecting vulnerable communities from the growing consequences of climate change.
He explained that the newly inaugurated National Working Group, established through a partnership involving the NHRC, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Council on Climate Change, would ensure that human rights remain at the heart of Nigeria’s climate action.
Ojukwu said the body would bring together government institutions, civil society organisations, academics and development partners to promote climate policies that protect the rights and dignity of citizens, particularly those most affected by environmental disasters.
Representing the Minister of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Abiola Awe reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing inclusive climate policies that leave no one behind.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr. (Mrs.) Omotenioye Majekodunmi, said the realities of flooding, climate-induced migration, farmer-herder conflicts and rising temperatures had become daily experiences affecting lives, livelihoods and human dignity across the country.
Founder of the Women Environmental Programme, Dr. Priscilla Achakpa, pledged continued support for climate justice, with particular attention to women, young people and other vulnerable groups whose voices are often overlooked in climate discussions.
The Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Aliyu Tijani Ahmed, represented by former NHRC Director, Mr. Dahiru Bobbo, also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to protecting persons displaced by climate-related disasters.
Similarly, the Presidency, through the Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Climate Change, Comrade Yussuf Olatunji Kelani, assured the Working Group of the Federal Government’s support in advancing its mandate.
Participants at the inauguration agreed that climate change has evolved beyond an environmental concern to one that directly affects fundamental human rights, including the rights to shelter, food, education, health and sustainable livelihoods.
