Surge Africa Launches Report on Climate Change Security in Nigeria

Join the African Newspage Community on WhatsApp.

The Surge Africa Organisation has launched its report titled Assessing Conflict and Fragility Risk in Nigeria, which provides foundational insights and analysis into the nexus of climate change and conflicts in Nigeria, expanding on the climate crisis and its associated risks to human security in Nigeria and the Sahel Region. 

Concerned by the implication of climate change on human security in Africa, Surge Africa developed a climate security workstream that seeks to deepen understanding of the intersectionality of climate change, natural resources, peace, and security.

The Surge Africa report was launched at a recent Virtual Design thinking Workshop by Surge Africa, which convened critical stakeholders from MDAs, Civil Society, academia, international organizations and interested individuals who discussed the findings of the report and charted pathways towards advancing climate action and improving human security in Africa.

In his presentation at the launch, the author of the report, Murtala Abdullahi, a Nigerian climate security analyst, noted that the impact of climate change on the environment aggravates resource scarcity, livelihood losses and poverty ​— which in turn fuel social tension, armed conflicts and humanitarian crises.”

Abdullahi noted that integrating climate security into peacebuilding and security interventions offers African leaders a unique opportunity to address the socioeconomic and developmental drivers of armed conflicts “Finally, the upcoming Loss and Damage negotiations at COP28 present a crucial opportunity for the global community to provide backing for climate, peace and security initiatives in vulnerable countries in Africa.”

In his presentation, Mubanga Lumpa, a Zambian researcher, noted that the changing climate is already affecting the livelihoods of millions of people across the continent and, if left unchecked, could have devastating consequences for Africa’s development. He therefore proposed that relevant stakeholders localize the science of climate change for effective communication and engagement with local communities in championing sustainable solutions to this global challenge.

Surge Africa’s Design Thinking Workshop series aims to provide stakeholders with in-depth analysis and resources on climate security risk, facilitate knowledge sharing, and continuously build a community of practice on climate security. The workshop also provided an avenue for stakeholders to develop recommendations around the climate security agenda at national and state levels as well as for the ongoing African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

Established in 2017, Surge Africa designs and implements innovative measures that improve approaches to climate adaptation through policy, media and resilience building. The nonprofit’s work is premised on the belief that climate change poses a multi-dimensional threat to Africa, which is why their programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of people and focused on empowering people using strategies that will unlock human potential and integrate development.

You can download a copy of Surge Africa’s report titled Assessing Conflict and Fragility Risk in Nigeria here