Governor Ayade: expected to speak at Climate Conference

Governor  Ben Ayade of  the southern Nigerian state of Cross River has been invited to speak at the ongoing Climate Change Summit in Paris, France.

The summit is put together by the United Nations Secretariat for Climate Change, according to a statement by the Climate Change secretariat.

Other governors listed to speak at the event are Jerry Brown (California), Tiao Viana (Acre), Premier Christy Clark (British Columbia), Aristoteles Sandoval (Jalisco) and Gov. of Washington, Mr. Jay Inslee.

Mayor Gregor Robertson of Vancouver, Mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland and Gov. Manuel Gambini of Ucayali, Peru are also expected to deliver papers at the summit.

The three-day event starts from Dec. 7, according to a statement.

It also stated that the Summit “brings together governors and mayors, who are adopting ambitions GCF reduction targets and creating economic opportunities by doing so.’’

Ayade is a professor of Environmental Science, whose doctoral research work on Climate Change won him about 6.5million Japanese Yen from the Japanese Government.

The governor also invented the sewage treatment system, which is being used off-shore by oil producing companies in Nigeria.

The climate change secretariat describes Cross River as “the GCF pioneer member in Africa, with a rich history of working to preserve Nigeria’s tropical forest and an important platform for further engagement of GCF in Africa.’’
It also stated that 90 per cent of Nigeria’s forest had been cleared, and that more than 50 per cent of Nigeria’s remaining forests are in Cross River.
Cross River is also rated as one of the richest biodiversity hot spots in Africa.

“The state serves as a model for reducing deforestation in other states in Nigeria and the region.’’

The secretariat also stated that the state’s leadership in forest governance led to its selection as the Pilot State for UN-REDD programme in Nigeria.

Ayade had similarly delivered a lecture at a climate change summit in Barcelona, Spain, few weeks after being sworn into office as governor.