KADCCAM Urges Action To Protect Biodiversity, Vulnerable Communities

The Kaduna State Climate Change Accountability Mechanism (KADCCAM) has called for urgent and coordinated action to tackle the worsening impacts of climate change across Nigeria, warning that biodiversity loss and environmental degradation are increasingly threatening vulnerable communities.

The call was made at a stakeholders’ engagement on Thursday in Kaduna to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity, which is observed globally under the United Nations framework to promote ecosystem protection and sustainable development.

Speaking at the event, KADCCAM Co-Chair Ibrahima Yakubu said there is an urgent need to strengthen climate policies, raise public awareness and promote community-driven solutions to environmental challenges.

He said Nigeria must move beyond policy declarations to practical measures that reduce climate risks and build resilience among affected populations.

Yakubu also cited a United Nations biodiversity assessment which warned that about one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction globally due to human activities such as deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

A climate expert, Lawal Abdullahi, said the impact of climate change can no longer be treated as a distant threat.
“The effects of climate change are no longer distant threats but daily realities affecting millions of people, especially farmers and low-income communities,” he said.

Participants at the engagement said climate change is already disrupting agriculture, weakening food security and worsening living conditions, particularly in northern Nigeria, where desertification and irregular rainfall patterns are becoming more severe.

The meeting also underscored the role of journalists in improving public understanding of climate and biodiversity issues, urging the media to adopt more consistent, accurate and solution-focused reporting.

Stakeholders further called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations and the media in promoting environmental sustainability, biodiversity protection and climate adaptation strategies.

They also advocated increased investment in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, early warning systems and ecosystem restoration as key measures to reduce disaster risks and protect vulnerable populations.