COOU VC CALLS FOR JOINT ACTION TOWARDS TACKLING THE RAVAGING EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
~ urges Climate Action Africa Forum, industry practitioners, Academia and other relevant stakeholders to attend the upcoming COOU Tree Planting and Climate Action Summit.
By Dr Harrison Madubueze
The Ag. Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha has called for a unified action of government, industry, academia and the public towards tackling the ravaging effects of climate change and building resilient and livable cities. Speaking at the 2024 Climate Action Africa Forum tagged CAAF2024 that took place at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island in Lagos, Professor Omenugha shared insights on the role of educational institutions in fostering sustainable development and emphasised the urgent need for innovative financing solutions and collaborative efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Briefing COOUNewS, the Representative of the Ag. Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Chairman of the University Tree Planting and Climate Action Working Group, Professor Kingsley Nwozor; bemoaned the devastating effects of climate change, particularly on buildings and infrastructure in the university that have led to costly repairs and disruptions to planned academic activities. In her words, “The effects of climate change at COOU have been particularly severe, with scorching heatwaves and strong winds being experienced in dangerous proportions, necessitating expensive repair work on degraded buildings and highlighting the university’s vulnerability to climatic shifts. We must be intentional and organised in tackling the scourge”
Highlighting the ongoing efforts by the university to arrest the ugly situation, Professor Omenugha expressed the university’s commitment to turning the challenges into opportunities for innovation and resilience. She stated that COOU in line with the Livable and Prosperous Anambra initiative of the Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo administration, has developed a 5-Year Strategic Roadmap for Tree Planting and Climate Action aimed at planting one million native trees across the university’s campuses and parts of Anambra State. According to her, the initiative not only would beautify the environment but also absorb carbon dioxide, reduce rising heatwaves, break strong winds, improve air quality, provide edible fruits, and natural shade and improve the health and well-being of the citizenry.
In concluding her address to the well-attended international conference that drew participants from all parts of the world, Professor Omenugha thanked the organisers of the Climate Action Africa Forum and appealed to public-spirited individuals and donor agencies to support COOU’s tree planting and climate action initiatives, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to achieve the goals of the 2024 Climate Action Africa Forum. “Our initiatives at COOU are designed to build a sustainable future. However, to achieve our goals, we need support from philanthropists, donor agencies and international partners. With your assistance, we can expand our programmes, enhance our infrastructure resilience, promote livable cities and contribute more effectively to global climate action. I also would like to use this medium to invite you all to the Tree Planting and Climate Action Summit of the University held on Wednesday, 17th July 2024. It is a day we have set aside to begin a historic journey towards a sustainable and liveable future”
©COOUNewS 2024
