Clement Nnachi 
Mr Igwe Ebi Gabriel is the Director Climate Change at the Ebonyi State Ministry of Environment. In this interview, he speaks on the contributions of USAID -Funded Feed the Future Nigeria in Launch of the State Climate Change Policy Adaptation. CLEMENT NNACHI reports
Climate Change is one of the biggest development challenges facing the nation. Ebonyi State recently launched its policy /adaptation aimed at addressing the menace. How far has the State fared in mitigating the effects of climate change?
In 2015, Michigan State University, funded by USAID Nigeria through the Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project, started working with the Ebonyi State government. Some of the notable outcomes especially in the Environment Sector have included the launch of Ebonyi State Climate Change Policy and the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the agricultural sector in Ebonyi State.
Later, I attended a workshop in which I represented the State Commissioner for Environment organized by Michigan State University. In the course of that workshop, it became obvious that the state government needed to have a climate change policy. In the course of that collaboration, we were able to get that assistance and other partners which was Action Aid Nigeria.The policy framework was actually settled.
Based on that effort, we were able to have the Ebonyi State Climate Change Policy . Because Ebonyi State is an agrarian state, we also have a Climate Adaptation Action Plan agricultural sector in the state. Michigan State University went further to produce the 2023 Ebonyi State Climate Agricultural Smart.
A lot of other activities have been carried out by Michigan State University. It has been a very good working relationship funded by Michigan State University. One of the mandates of Michigan State University under the USAID-funded Activity is capacity building.
Do you feel confident that your engagement with Michigan State University has strengthened your capacity as a government official working in the policy space in Ebonyi State?
Yes of course, my coming in contact with Michigan State University has actually yielded more than enough capacity. This is because the policy framework besides other documents, Ebonyi State went further to have what is called Law on Climate Change 2020. All these documents have made Ebonyi to be among the states in terms of capacity building. We have done the training and the collaboration I got from Michigan State University have been very useful.
Recently under the climate change governance and performance rating of the 36 states in the country, Ebonyi was recorded as one of the top performing states ranking 3rd after Lagos. Tell us how the state achieved this feat?
Yes, Ebonyi State succeeded in even coming second but that is secondary. The policy framework can only be found after Lagos. Ebonyi used its framework to highlight climate change activity to the outside world.
So, we have all the legal and institutional framework, a department. We have an Inter-Ministerial Committee put in place, we have Desk Officers both at the Local Government working with NGOs who come to finance our projects in the State.
A lot of other activities have taken place though It is not the end because development is a process. We are making sure it will get better if not first, let us see how we can be measuring with Lagos.
USAID Nigeria has recently funded the Policy Support for Economic Growth to work with more states like Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano. Ebonyi State in the ranking did better than these states. How would Ebonyi state perform better in the next performance rating evaluation on Climate governance?
My coming in is to work with those States better than it is. I can come in, create a scenario because the activities you carry on in the climate action actually result in a better rating. Nasarawa and other states, we can always relate on how we are operating in Ebonyi State. We are willing to give any advice when needed either as a partnership or otherwise.
Given these achievements of Ebonyi State in the area of climate change governance, should we expect to see the State make a formal appearance in the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, which is a World Conference of Parties (COPs) coming up November 29th 2024 in Baiku, the capital of Azerbayan?
Yes. Going for the conference is one of the primary things the state is interested in achieving. That is where the world markets their climate activities. Discussions have started with some agencies to see the possibility of attending the conference.
All boils down to finance. The summary is that that is where we shall sell our policies and examine climate activities. We need donors whom we know we can easily get at that level because this is a United Nations (UN) Conference on Climate Change
Can you give us an insight into the Climate Change Agricultural Profile?
The Climate Change Agricultural Profile is giving us programmes and policies which we will implement, to get involved in all seasons farming, because of the impact of climate change. It is erratic, it does not come as it used to.
From April to October, if you have watched this, before the August Break, we had almost three weeks of no rain. But with the Climate Change Agricultural Profile, we are expected to carry out projects like mini-irrigation.
This will enable farmers to water their crops all around the year. Those living in the river belts, you see the women around that corridor when the rain stops. Under the climate change agricultural profile, we mount it like any solar powered, you see you secure the area because people can cultivate their crops throughout the year like we have in some other pàrts of the world.
Give us an understanding on measures put in place to checkmate incidence of flooding that has resulted in loss of lives?
The Department of Climate Change has what is called an Inter-Ministerial Committees. This committee is drawn from the Line Ministries. Once a while, we meet, we expect those in agriculture to carry the information to the Extension Officers.
For example, the weather prediction for 2024, when we have this information we pass it to relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies. They will downscale the information to the grassroots. That is why we have Local Government Officers on Climate Change, all geared towards awareness creation.
