Cross River Steps Up Climate–Health Drive
By Ebi COLLINS
The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing climate and health resilience, as the Commissioner for Environment, Chief Moses Osogi, pledged stronger collaboration with the Climate Change and Health Technical Working Group (TWG).
The assurance came during a recent advocacy visit by the TWG to the Ministry of Environment in Calabar, where the delegation, led by Programme Manager, Mr. Asuquo Henry Eyibio, commended Governor Bassey Otu’s administration for pioneering reforms in climate governance. These, he said, include the establishment of the State Climate Change Council, the first by any sub-national government in Nigeria.
Eyibio noted that the group had developed the Cross River State Climate Change Health Adaptation Plan (CR-HSAP), a landmark achievement in the South-South that now positions the state to access World Bank climate adaptation funds. However, he stressed that interventions remain underfunded, with the TWG largely self-financing its activities since completing the CR-HSAP. He urged the ministry to support statewide enlightenment campaigns, set up climate change desks across MDAs and LGAs, and formally endorse the TWG’s role in integrating health into climate planning.
In his response, Commissioner Osogi lauded the group’s consistency and stressed that climate change is “everybody’s business.” He assured them that the Ministry of Environment is their “home,” emphasizing that partnership and synergy are critical to driving sustainable climate and health initiatives.
The Commissioner also underscored the centrality of forest conservation in climate action, calling for deliberate efforts to protect reserves. He advocated for better use of ecological funds to safeguard the environment and issued a stern warning against illegal and uncontrolled mining in Akamkpa, which he described as a looming disaster if left unchecked.
Reflecting on the 2025 World Environment Day, which he hailed as “the best ever,” Osogi commended the heightened awareness it generated across the state. He assured the TWG that their concerns had been duly noted and pledged to act on them. He further reiterated his openness to continuous engagement, describing the Ministry of Environment as the “mother ministry” for all climate and health collaborations in the state.
