The Ekiti State Government has inaugurated Climate Change Desk Officers across its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the state’s 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The initiative is aimed at strengthening climate governance, promoting environmental sustainability and building a more resilient state.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Erelu Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Sunday Omoya, disclosed this at the inauguration in Ado-Ekiti.
Aluko-Ajisafe said the initiative demonstrated the government’s commitment to building a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable and economically prosperous Ekiti, noting that the effects of climate change — including flooding, erosion, rising temperatures and land degradation — were already being felt by communities across the state.
She said addressing these challenges required coordinated action among government institutions and other stakeholders, adding that the appointment of the Desk Officers would help ensure climate-related issues were properly integrated into the activities and programmes of MDAs and LGAs.
The Commissioner urged the Desk Officers to be proactive and committed in working with communities, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to tackle climate-related challenges.
She noted that climate action also presented opportunities in areas such as climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy, waste management and tree planting, which could create jobs, improve livelihoods and boost the state’s economy.
Aluko-Ajisafe assured that the state government would continue to strengthen institutional capacity and promote collaboration among MDAs, LGAs and other stakeholders in tackling climate change.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Folorunso Olabode, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Babatunde Olaoye, stressed the need for climate responses to be community-focused and data-driven. He also called for effective early warning systems to help communities prepare adequately for climate-related hazards.
In a keynote address, the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Green Economy and Environment, Dr Akinyemi Akinyugha, described the initiative as a landmark step toward establishing an effective climate governance structure in Ekiti.
He described environmental protection as a collective responsibility and called for greater participation by citizens, the private sector and civil society organisations.
The event featured a technical session and was attended by senior government officials, representatives of the 16 LGAs and other stakeholders.