Nigeria and Italy have taken steps to collaborate on the effective use of space technology to combat the impacts of climate change in the country.
Indications to this development emerged when the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Nnaji, met with the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Stefano De Leo, in Abuja on the best way to harness the transformative power of space technology in tackling Nigeria’s critical national challenges.
According to a statement from the Ministry, one of the issues highlighted during the courtesy visit of the Italian envoy to the Minister, was the problem of severe flooding in parts of Northern Nigeria, even as the Minister noted that data from the Nigerian Space Agency revealed that the overflow of Cameroon’s Loco-Dam is contributing to the problem of flooding in parts of Nigeria.
Chief Nnaji emphasised that space technology is already playing a vital role in environmental protection and boosting agricultural efficiency, key steps in preventing not only floods but also clashes between herders and farmers, the statement added.
According to him, this partnership with Italy is timely, as it will help mitigate the worsening impact of climate change on the country’s flood-prone areas.
He praised global efforts to combat flooding and called on African nations to unite in leveraging the continent’s natural resources for sustainable development.
In his remarks, Dr. Stefano De Leo reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to partnering with Nigeria in the fields of science and technology, particularly through the transformative potential of space development.
He urged Nigeria to strengthen its leadership role in Africa by capitalising on its abundant human and natural resources, to position itself as a technological force on the global stage, the statement added.
