Mother nature is done mothering
Climate change is hooking the world in the neck and keeping kids out of school
Good morning, Big Brains. How are you maintaining sanity today? I’m slowly concluding that sanity itself might be a little overrated. No shame in being a bit insane if you ask me. Anyway, here’s a perfectly sane edition of The Big Daily written by a perfectly sane writer. This isn’t a cry for help by the way (it is, wink wink).
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1,000
Reading time ~3 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
President Tinubu promises to take urgent action as climate change predicted to affect 650,000 children in Nigeria
Taraba Governor approves ₦175 million relief package for Borno
Remi Tinubu commissions national fabric to be distributed nationwide ahead of Independence Day
The Big Deal
President Tinubu promises to take urgent action as climate change predicted to affect 650,000 children in Nigeria
This isn’t a drill, Mother Nature is down bad! A new World Bank report reveals that from January 2022 to June 2024, 404 million students worldwide have missed school due to climate-related issues, including floods.
The Maiduguri flood, which has killed over 30 people and displaced about 400,000, is Nigeria’s latest climate change disaster but the World Bank worries that the country might experience another terrible case of flooding if the government doesn’t step up.
For the second time in less than 30 days, President Tinubu has promised to address the effects of climate change and other environmental issues facing the nation. The President made this promise in Maiduguri while sympathising with the people of Borno State. While speaking to the affected people, he had a little “just give me my cookie” moment, talking about how he had to reschedule his trip to the prestigious United States of America just to sympathise with them.
Why is this a big deal?
Again, President Tinubu didn’t mention how exactly his administration intends to control climate change in Nigeria. We’d expect that the climate change committee he set up earlier in the year would be more involved in conversations like this but so far, nothing.
In 2023, the United Nations reported that Nigeria was the second most vulnerable country globally regarding children’s exposure to climate change. The report also highlighted that floods had displaced 650,000 children between 2016 and 2021.
Even though the UN report came in a year ago, things are still far from better. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently revealed that students in certain areas of Nigeria missed 53 school days because of flooding. For a country that claims that the kids are its future, this is a big problem.
If Nigeria is going to survive the worst effects of climate change, we’ll need more than empty promises.
Taraba Governor approves ₦175 million relief package for Borno
Speaking of climate change, Governor Dr Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has approved a ₦175 million relief fund from his state’s reserve to help Borno State after the recent flooding.
Here's the breakdown of how the fund will be spent: ₦100 million will support victims of the Borno flood, ₦50 million will go to the Taraba community in Borno, and ₦25 million will go to the Borno Emirate Council to help with managing the effects of the flood.
In addition to that, relief supplies like rice, vegetable oil, and blankets are already on their way to Borno to offer immediate help.
We love that for the people of Borno state but you know what we’ll love more? Some explanation about what happened to the ₦816.34 million Borno received from the Ecological Fund between January and June 2024.
If there’s any truth to the report that only 2.45% of the total fund was spent on flood control, surely we can do better than some bags of rice and vegetable oil.
Remi Tinubu commissions national fabric to be distributed nationwide ahead of Independence Day
No aso-ebi, no independence! Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, being the innovative queen that she is has announced a new national symbol, the #OneNigeria/UnityFabric. “What’s that?” Just a cooler way of saying national aso-ebi. Now, you might get major FOMO if you can’t get your hands on this fabric as it’s set to be worn nationwide to celebrate Independence Day on October 1, 2024.
The fabric design, which was created by 25-year-old Miss Mofinyinfoluwa Bamidele, was selected from 111 entries in a competition organized by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). This design will be mass-produced by local manufacturers Sunflag Nigeria Limited in Lagos and BBY Multitrade Limited in Kano. The production is expected to support local industries, create jobs and stimulate the economy.
Remi Tinubu also added that she’s hopeful that this initiative will create a sense of togetherness and help break down tribal barriers. For someone whose husband centered his entire campaign around tribal differences (with slogans like "Yoruba L’okan," or "It’s Yoruba’s turn" in English), it’s almost ironic.
Chile anyway, if you’re interested in copping the fabric, 200,000 pieces will be distributed to major cities like Lagos, Kano, and Abuja, with extra allocations for other stakeholders to ensure widespread access.
This Week’s Big Question
“Are you interested in voting in 2027, or would you rather not be in Nigeria to see what happens?”
Chima’s response - “As crazy as it might sound, I’m looking forward to the elections like mad. I’m ready to make smarter decisions in 2027.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Chima’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
FG, States, LGs Share ₦1.2trn In August 2024: A total sum of ₦1.203 trillion June 2024 federation accounts revenue has been shared with the country's Federal Government, states, and local government councils.
It Is Illegal For NNPCL To Fix Price Of Dangote Petrol, Says Falana: Femi Falana argues that it's illegal for NNPCL to set petrol prices after deregulation, which should allow market forces to determine prices instead.
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