Before departing New York on Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari met with Nigerian Youths Climate Group where he gave some insights into the severe climate challenges confronting the country.

According to him, “Nigeria is a neighbour to the Sahara Desert: Lake Chad is shrinking, while population is exploding. It’s a challenging situation. With less land, less rainfall, these are very unique problems for the country.”

Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, lauded the youths for representing Nigeria at United Nations General Assembly as Climate Change Champions, saying: “It is good you are participating so that you can appreciate the problems older people are having.”

In her remarks, one of the leaders of the group, Esther Agbarakwe, said: “This is the first time we are seeing a President sit with us. It gives us hope. We young people understand the problems, and are in the vanguard of advocacy. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Climate Change Department works with us for solutions.”

She commended the support the group is receiving from the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, and the Federal Ministry of Environment, noting that “we are in it together.”

On his part, Hamzat Lawal, also one of the leaders of the group, thanked the President for signing the Not Too Young to Run Bill into law.

“We seek solutions to problems in the Sahel region. If we provide solutions to the Sahel, the world will be at peace. You have announced planting of 25 million tress and we youths plan to match it,” he said.