Nigeria Needs Other Nations In Confronting Challenges – University Don

A director of Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute in Osun State University, Professor John Agbonifo has said Nigeria needs other Nations in the continent to confront and address environmental degradation such as deterioration of environment through depletion of resources like air, water and soil, climate change among others.

The university Don explained that no nation is self sufficient to tackle the environmental challenges, adding that Nigeria needs to be strategic to be able to define what her needs are and ensure that whatever is given as assistance to address climatic change is well utilized and managed.

Speaking with news men at the Institution’s 3rd International Sustainable Development Dialogue (ISDD) with the theme: “Making and unmaking Africa : Global Development and Environmental Humanity”, Agbenifo noted that Nigeria needs the complex multi disciplinary approach to be able to understand global processes and their impact on Africa, hence the institution’s decision to hold the dialogue.

According to him, “Africa is not an island, global development, global event that happened on the world stage affect Africa and that is what we mean by making and unmaking African as this global processes making or unmarking.

“Africa is very rich in terms of human and natural resources and Africa is interconnecting but unfortunately as a continent and as a people we face certain challenges in environmental transformation, climate change among others.

What we need to do is to harness knowledge that is available in the public sphere and then to develop a political bill and also to leverage on our diplomatic skills as a people, as Nigerians, as Africans to be able to address our challenges. Once these challenges are confronted and addressed we are close to greatness.

“No nation is self sufficient We need other nations just as other nations need us. We need to be strategic. We need this to be able to define for ourselves what our needs are and then to ensure that whatever is given to us as an assistance actually goes to address those need instead of indirectly exploiting others.

Also Speaking, A foremost Ifa priest and Araba Awo of Osogbo land, Ifayemi Elebuibon charged the Africans on the need to protect their environments and to always preserve the nature.

“It is important if African is going to be great among other nations, we need to protect our environment and to preserve the nature.

He advised the institution to inform all and sundry on the value of our culture.