Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has lamented the devastating effects of climate change on communities in Nigeria, describing the menace as a living crisis.

Kalu made the submission when a delegation from the National Council on Climate Change Secretariat (NCCCS) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) led by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nkiruka Madueke paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday.

The deputy speaker welcomed the proposed partnership between the House and the agencies to help tackle the ecological challenges in the country.

He said: “I’m happy that you are here today, which means the journey of 1000 miles begins with a step if the first step is well taken. And starting from here, considering you as a major stakeholder in this conversation, is a step well taken, and also it is in the right direction.

“We’ll talk about climate change, national security, economic and humanitarian crises. And I would like you to have the view of the parliament as you go back, what we think about the subject matter, and the issues around it as a nation and as a parliament.

“So, in Nigeria today, climate change is not a looming threat, it is a living crisis. So, that is one of the things you take home; that we see it as a living crisis. Its fingerprints are visible across our economy, across our environment and in our most vulnerable communities.

The deputy speaker also highlighted the efforts of the legislature in bringing solutions, saying it has enacted appropriate legislation to tackle the problem.

Earlier in her presentation, the leader of the delegation, Dr. Madueke underscored the need for Nigeria to articulate its own single country projects to enable it access funding from the Green Climate Funds as appropriately envisioned.