I was shown this survey in class on Thursday, I had said I will post it here cos I know many are oblivious of this like I was.

Is it strange that Abịa 2 most populous cities are listed there. The only state with her capital and economic city listed.

My lecturer went far to pointing me to please tell the whole class about how it is there and how we really cope with that, (apparently I was the only black or African there and we had done introduction of ourselves before commencement of the seminar/lecture). Imagine me, I was stupefied beyond measure, I just told them, "while is true we have air pollution as a serious concern in Nigeria and the rest of the world, I really believe that this report or survey by the WHO is exaggerated as regards the reality of Onitsha, I lived in Aba and had also stayed in Onitsha too, so I find it hard to believe that the city is the most air polluted in the whole world". Don't mind me, where else have I been to aside here, lol. i should defend my country and keep the truth inside, so i was taught.

He was bemused by my doubts of the survey in his slide presentation and directed me, to channel my grievance to the scientist of WHO and they laughed over it.

But that is not even my problem, not even the WHO survey, but the plight of the citizenry especially the Onitsha, Abịa State residents. Is it that the Government of Nigeria and these respective states don't know and understand the lethality of this bad development. Let say they are not saying the whole truth or so and always mischievous about their Africa surveys and so on, but com' on is yet very alarming. I don't know how Willie Obiano and Okezie Ikpeazụ sleeps seeing this kind report and just does nothing over it, probably laughs over it.

I was totally discomposed for the rest of the seminar after seeing that survey, I only picked his addendum on the survey, he remarked " Actually, that city Onitsha according to the report has gone 10 times worsened than the acceptable managing limits". Haaaa! This got me gasp for air, like I felt unconscious for a while. I just turned off to everything he was saying afterwards, brought out my phone and searched on goggle "20 worst cities with air pollution", mehn the results silenced me. This is for real, I said to myself.

Thoughts were just flying in my head up and down like, why is climate matters not really discussed as an important issue in that entity seeing it is about the worst in that realm?, why is the president and governors not making noise about this. I listened to imra Khan (Pakistan president) speech at the just concluded 74th session of the United Nations general assembly and became awoke to the seriousness of Climate change impacts, he buttressed well how it has really affected the nation of Pakistan, the melting of the glaciers etc. You could feel his heart and burden for this serious issue with that emotional but sensible address. I listened to other world leaders really emphasize on the need for us to awake to the soaring levels of Climate change and its dangers. By the way, I also listened to President Buhari and the way he passed his own climate message concern��.

I understand the issue has not been in the wonderful addresses or policies but bold steps to implement the articulated policies. I read that (a) about 10% of the world population which is nearly 1.1 billion people in the world are poor. While for Europe and Central Asia, they are doing better with recent data, Sub-Sahara Africa is having over 55% of the world poorest and is seeing an exponential increase instead of decline. This is a serious issue too. In fact, the World bank projects that by 2030, 9 out of 10 Sub-Sahara Africans will be poor �. I think this is another barrier we have for our low performance in climate change concerns.

There are political and economical angles to the myriads of Africa/Nigeria climate plagues, I do understand these facets, but I also think we as citizens of Nigeria, our governments should rise up to this current global trend and join the world in enacting the solutions now. Let's not argue, "we are third world countries, so will always wait for the developed countries to fight theirs finish and then come and start doing charity etc to help us fight ours, because the truth is that the effects of these worsening changes are transboundary and also transgenerational.

If we care to do nothing about it, not only do we suffer about it, our lovely children will have to bear the burnt of our callousness. I go out the streets of Berlin on Fridays, you see 10 thousand people on the street marching and creating awareness, open the news Network, you see same for other cities in Germany, even millions of people in Hamburg etc. Go to Canada, Australia, Russia, Uk, France, USA, infact countries in the West are awoke to climate change dangers and it has swept through their business policies (control of plastic packages and resources waste reduction, prohibition of chemicals and toxic substances, Renewable energy adoption, planting of trees and biodiversity preservation, Preservation of lands etc) and down to one that really amazes me, their political sector, everywhere is now political parties with more affinity for environment that are taking the block votes in these places, like the Green party in EU, etc. Voters are now very concerned about party manifestos in Environment to decide who to vote, it was also a strong factor in the recent election of Canada, India etc.

It arouses my interest when I see kids that are already climate activist in their countries like the Greta Thunberg of Sweden and many more of them mobilize rallies to call their government's awareness to their fears of the deteriorating climates of their area.

If our fathers have failed us as it relates to protecting our environment, we shouldn't return it to our kids. I don't know for you, am really concerned about this hence, my long epistle. I acknowledge that Nigeria is hard etc, so it disrupts our common sense and makes us nonchalant about pertinent issues while more on trivial, matters, like Tacha, Chioma Davido etc�, Kai but this is a sensitive and serious issue. We shouldn't downplay the effects it has on us as a people. Things like the increase in temperature, intensity of natural disasters like flooding etc, sea rises are real demonstrations of our changing climate, which if we do the right things required for us as a people and government and citizens, (I have pointed out the solutions also in this post) will go a long way mitigating the effects we are seeing.

So as we are busy searching and drilling for more crude oil when the world is going to renewable energy to reduce green house emissions and as we destroy our natural vegetation to build houses recklessly, when others are beginning to plant trees and maintaining the 30% quota for vegetation remember, there's no healthy and prosperous nation if the environment and ecosystem is not healthy and balanced.
#fridaysforfuture

(a)-https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview

Seun, Mynd44, Lalasticlala, i greet you guys

We really need to create awareness of climate change here too, many Nairalanders, surprisingly don't understand what it is all about and the dangerous implications.

Take this post to our house hall of fame, abeg. Is a serious matter

Climate change is a scam!

Nukilia:
Climate change is a scam!

Really

Why do you say that? Give me your reasons

Baba, how do i reach you?