By Maduka Nweke
The recent decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement has sparked varied reactions among stakeholders in Nigeria’s climate change movement. While the move has ignited global debate, many Nigerian farmers and climate advocates have backed the US withdrawal, asserting that the Paris Agreement has failed to deliver the tangible benefits it promised, particularly for those working in agriculture.
Mr. Anthony Anya Okafor, a rice merchant from Anambra State, shared his frustration, noting that the agreement has complicated the once-predictable rhythms of farming life.
“Before the Paris Climate Agreement, we knew when to plant and harvest. We had two distinct farming seasons every year,” Okafor explains. “But now, things are no longer clear. We can’t even predict the right time to begin our second cultivation. It’s frustrating. Sometimes, after planning meticulously to avoid the risk of floods, you wake up to find your farm submerged, and all your hard work destroyed overnight.
“For rice, it is possible that rice could sustain some days of water but not yam or other crops that are in tuber form. I will suggest Nigeria follow suit in withdrawal because I don’t see what we gain by that. It is not helping us in any way at all. To follow other countries that understand their weather is not to our favour because we are yet to grow to that level,” he said.
His experience is not isolated. Farmers across the country have expressed similar concerns, describing how erratic weather patterns, intensified by global climate shifts, have made agriculture increasingly unpredictable.
These shifts, they argue, are not only harming their crops but are also eroding their livelihoods. For many, the once-reliable seasons have become a gamble, and the climate agreement, which was supposed to mitigate climate-related risks, seems to have done little to alleviate their challenges.
For Mrs. Tinuke Adesida, a potato dealer, water poses the greatest challenge to her livelihood in this part of the world. She explains that those who work with tuber crops often face devastating losses due to water-related issues. “When there’s a flood and the potatoes are still in the ground, even if a farmer manages to harvest them, clean them, and make them appear fresh, within just two days, you’ll see them start to decay. The only sensible course of action is for us to withdraw from the agreement and focus on the weather patterns we truly understand,” she said.
Stakeholders assert that the Paris Agreement, while well-intentioned, has failed to address the immediate needs of local farmers who rely on a consistent understanding of weather patterns to plan their crops. The once-clear boundaries between dry and rainy seasons have become blurred, and unpredictable flooding has become more frequent. For instance, the traditional knowledge of farmers about planting and harvesting dates no longer seems to align with the erratic climatic conditions they face today.
Many local experts and farmers believe that the global climate discussions, while critical on a broader scale, often overlook the unique challenges faced by smaller, developing economies like Nigeria. They argue that local and regional climate solutions are necessary to address the realities faced by farmers who are grappling with the immediate and often harsh effects of climate change.
As the US steps back from the Paris Agreement, this moment presents an opportunity for Nigerian stakeholders to reflect on their own climate policies. There is a growing call for policies that are more tailored to the realities of Nigerian farmers—policies that prioritize localized knowledge and solutions over international commitments that may not be effective on the ground.
The US withdrawal has also brought to the fore questions about the effectiveness of global climate pacts in the face of immediate local needs. While the debate continues to unfold on the international stage, Nigerian farmers remain focused on their daily struggles, looking for actionable solutions that can safeguard their crops, their livelihoods, and their future. The hope is that, in time, policies will evolve to better meet the unique needs of farmers, creating a sustainable environment for agriculture in Nigeria and beyond.
In a related development, the United States has officially informed the UN Secretary-General of its decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the formal notification specifies that, starting from January 27, 2026, the U.S. will cease adhering to the terms of the agreement.
Dujarric said this at a news briefing recently, in New York.
According to her “The historic accord reached by 193 countries in December 2015 in a bid to keep temperature rises to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, was signed by the U.S. on April 22, 2016. During the first Donald Trump administration, the U.S. withdrew from the Agreement effective November 4, 2020, before his successor took the country back into the accord on February 19, 2021.
The UN spokesperson said the latest withdrawal would not lead to any slowdown in the UN’s efforts to combat climate change.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the Paris Agreement and to support all effective efforts to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Dujarric said.
The international community continues to work towards the goals set by the Agreement, despite the U.S.’s decision to withdraw. In a related development, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed for concerted action to tackle neglected tropical diseases, which impact more than one billion people – often with devastating health, social, and economic consequences.
Every year, around 800 to 900 million people are treated for at least one neglected tropical disease, according to the UN health agency, which warned that global warming has emerged as a threat in this field of medicine. The list of tropical diseases is a long one and includes Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue, chikungunya, and dracunculiasis.
They tend to thrive among vulnerable people who live in poverty and are caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins. Progress in tackling these diseases remains hampered by a lack of investment and conflict, the WHO said, ahead of World Neglected Tropical Disease Day on Thursday, January 30. Today, 54 countries have successfully eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease; WHO’s goal is for 100 countries to do the same by 2030.