Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called for dedicated budget allocations for climate change and increased capacity building for parliamentarians across Africa and the Global South.
Kalu made the call on Thursday while speaking at the parliamentary reception of the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) during the inauguration of its new president, Sam Onuigbo, at the House of Commons, London.
The Deputy Speaker said stronger parliamentary capacity and dedicated funding are essential to ensure climate laws translate into tangible adaptation and mitigation outcomes for citizens.
He noted that Nigeria’s climate change discourse had gained momentum following the enactment of the Climate Change Act 2021, which he said was driven by sustained advocacy and legislative commitment.
According to him, legislation alone is insufficient if lawmakers lack the knowledge needed to effectively implement climate policies.
“Beyond having this committee, it is important to call for capacity building across the Global South, mainly African countries, to understand more of what climate change entails. Whether it is adaptation or mitigation, there is still a gap,” Kalu said.
“The law can be there and not affect the lives of the people because the interpretation is not right.”
He urged African parliaments to begin demanding clear climate change allocations in their national budgets to guarantee proper implementation of environmental policies.
“I look forward to a time in countries in Africa where we will, as parliamentarians, ask: where is the climate change component of the budget? A certain percentage must be dedicated to it,” he added.
Kalu also praised Onuigbo, who sponsored Nigeria’s landmark Climate Change Act, describing his emergence as GLOBE president as “a round peg in a round hole.”
Founded in 1989, GLOBE is an international association of legislators from more than 80 countries working to develop common legislative responses to sustainable development and environmental challenges.
