By John Otu Okocha, Sponsorship Officer
PDA is committed to ensuring that the adverse effects of climate change are minimized in the State. One major step to actualize this task was the desk review and situation analysis of agroecology policies and practices in Ebonyi State in 2019. In the process, many gaps were identified. Notable among the gaps was – Ebonyi State had no policy climate change. Knowing the impact of climate change in agriculture and the importance of food security, PDA highlighted the need for a climate change policy in Ebonyi State and the idea was bought. In partnership with ActionAid Nigeria, Ebonyi State Government and Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project, PDA held the inception meeting for the development of Ebonyi state climate change policy and action plan in July 2020, anchored by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi State on Climate Change, Dr Obianuju Aloh.
The inception meeting was followed by a multi stakeholders review workshop, involving the relevant MDAs, private sectors, Local Government Councils, community representatives, smallholder women farmers and CSOs. This workshop played a great role in content gathering to help enrich the policy. PDA has been on course since then, and in January 2021, validation meeting was held for stakeholders to certify the work done so far, weather their inputs were rightly captured. Currently, production of the Ebonyi State Climate Change Policy and Action plan is on-going, and in a short while, PDA and partners will do an official submission of the Ebonyi State Climate Change Policy and Action Plan to the State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi and his Commissioners.
PDA is not just committed to infrastructural development; we are also committed to influencing policies in the State that will help in the overall development of the State and improving the living conditions of the citizens.