Climate change fueling insecurity in Nigeria — CAS, Air Marshal Abubakar

• Climate change intensifies existing factors leading to conflicts, impacting people’s capacity to manage and creating a cycle of further conflicts
• Irregular and extreme weather at Lake Chad reduces economic prospects, making youth more vulnerable to violent extremist recruitment
• Negative impact on national security results in humanitarian crises, terrorism, and insurgency
  

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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken steps to address the amplified security challenges in the country due to climate change, according to Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of the Air Staff.

Speaking during a virtual lecture for participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies’ Senior Executive Course 45, Abubakar emphasized that while climate change isn’t the sole cause of conflicts, it has intensified pre-existing factors that lead to conflicts.

He highlighted that these conflicts in turn diminish people’s capacity to manage, leading to a cycle of further conflicts. The lecture centered on the Nigerian Air Force’s role in managing industrialization, energy, security, and climate change.

“For instance, irregular and extreme weather at Lake Chad is destroying the profitability of traditional fishing and farming, thus reducing the economic prospects of young men in the area thereby making them more susceptible to recruitment by violent extremists”.

“The consequence, is its negative impact on national security leading to humanitarian crises, terrorism and insurgency.

“To mitigate the effects of climate change on national security, Air Marshal Abubakar stated that NAF kinetic and disaster relief operations as well as green practices and technologies were adopted.

Through kinetic operations, the NAF has continued to create favourable ground situations for surface forces to operate and recover lost territories from terrorists and insurgents.

“Kinetic efforts have also contributed to degrading the fighting will and capabilities of terrorists, insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and oil thieves thereby creating a safer and more secure environment for economic and industrial activities to thrive.”

Speaking further, Air Marshal Abubakar noted that the NAF has made deliberate efforts to integrate climate change considerations into its operations and planning adding that, this led to NAF participation in the 2021 Global Air Forces on Climate Change organized by the Royal Air Force, United Kingdom.