Between fantacy and fancy: Nigeria's mirage journey to industrialised state status in the post-COP19 era of climate change

Abstract

By 2020, Nigeria hopes to be one of the most industrialised countries in the international system as if Rome was built in a day. Corruption, the politics of delay by domestic and international contractors, kick backs by political parties and the military ingovernment that left little room for transparency are some of the issues that have affected the proper implementation of various development plans put in place in Nigeria since, 1960. The climate change crises that the international system is contending with put the much-publicised Vision 20-2020 under stress. Lack of government readiness, global financial problems and the concretisation of the Western inspired national strategy to climate change will militate against climate smart. The Western dominated technical committee on Measuring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV) does not encourage the realisation of the vision. Drought, flood, destabilisation of the ecosystem and the destruction of biodiversity are the fallouts of climate change. The implications of these are diversion of annual budget to address immediate needs in the form of disaster risk management, mitigation and adaptation. Conflicts between herders and crop farmers are a daily occurrence in various parts of the country. As much as there is a call for ‘Cow Rights’, the Mbororo Fulanis who hardly recognise territorial integrity in the country will always be at war with their hosts, the effects of which make peace a luxury in Nigeria. As, long as the Nigerian government is prevaricating on environmental law, the Vision 20-2020 will remain a pipe dream.