GOMBE – Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday called for unified efforts to address the escalating threats posed by climate change across the country, particularly in the North-East region.
Speaking on Wednesday at the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Climate Change Summit in Gombe State, Shettima emphasised the urgent need for innovation and resilience to counter the growing environmental challenges.
“The past few days have reminded us of the harsh realities of climate change,” he said, lamenting the recent tragedies caused by natural disasters.
The vice president urged Nigerians to take decisive action as lives, livelihoods, and communities face increasing risks.
“None of us is immune to this existential threat to our ecosystem,” Shettima added.
The vice president praised the NEDC for organising the summit, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to climate change, exacerbated by years of conflict and environmental degradation.
He also stressed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 through the Energy Transition Plan and National Climate Change Policy.
Shettima underscored the importance of initiatives like the Great Green Wall in combating desertification and urged for stronger solutions to bolster the country’s climate resilience.
He concluded by reaffirming the federal government’s support in ensuring the success of the NEDC’s climate action initiatives.
Kashim Shettima, 58, served as governor of a terror-ravaged northeastern Borno State, from 2011 to 2019. His term in office was dominated by the deadly Boko Haram insurgency
Shettima became the governor without setting out to be one. He was brought in as a replacement after the winner of the governorship candidate of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) Modu Fannami-Gubio was shot dead by Boko Haram insurgents in January 2011.
He was accused of masterminding the killing of the late candidate. But the allegation did not stop him from being elected governor. The allegation of having a hand in the death of Mr Fannami-Gubio continued even after his first term in office. He repeatedly denied any involvement in the murder.
Shettima was accused of being the brain behind Boko Haram terror group.
The abduction of 276 pupils of Government Secondary School Chibok in 2014 almost caused Shettima his integrity. The president at the time, Goodluck Jonathan, and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Shettima masterminded the abduction to help his new party the All Progressives Congress (APC) win election.
On several occasions, Shettima was also accused of not reaching out to Jonathan to discuss security issues. But the former governor said it was the president who should be reaching out to governors in states battling insecurity.
Shettima left office in 2019, and was elected to the senate. After winning primary for Senate election in 2022, he withdrew from the nomination to become Bola Tinubu‘s running mate.
On 1 March 2023, Bola Tinubu was declared as the winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) . Thus, Shettima became the Vice President-elect of Nigeria.