18/08/2026
During our Model Legislative Assembly, I supported a motion calling for stronger government action in response to Nigeria’s recurring flooding crisis.
I argued that between 2017 and 2026, the Yamaltu/Deba Federal Constituency has experienced more than four severe flooding incidents, with lives lost and significant damage to property, particularly agricultural output and housing in Hinna, Dadin Kowa and Zambuk.
I also reiterated that these floods should be understood within the broader global climate crisis.
Our communities contribute very little to the causes of climate change, yet they bear a disproportionate share of its consequences. Beyond strengthening our emergency response agencies, Nigeria must therefore use its public institutions and international engagements to demand greater accountability from major industrialised countries, particularly through platforms such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
My academic and professional background in international political economy shaped this contribution. The experience also reminded me of something I have increasingly come to appreciate: frameworks that we often encounter as international development concepts can have very concrete implications for local livelihoods.
We may have erected borders to partition our countries, but our humanity and our economies remain interconnected. Environmental externalities do not respect those borders. Understanding these connections is essential if we are to build systems that recognise cause and effect, distribute responsibility more fairly, and ultimately improve people’s lives.
I hope to continue playing my part in advancing systems literacy through public education. The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre - PLAC Legislative Internship was another opportunity to learn, share, understand how institutions work, and reflect on what I can do to make those systems work better for people.
UN Climate Change
