Technological Challenges of Climate
Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insightsfrom Enugu State
African Technology Policy Studies Network

TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF | No. 24
Emeka Celestine Nzeh
Ogugua Rita EbohTechnological Challenges of Climate Change
Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu State

Emeka Celestine Nzeh
African Institute for Applied Economics,
Enugu State, Nigeria

Ogugua Rita Eboh
Centre for Entrepreneurship andDevelopment Research,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.
Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network
P O Box 10081, 00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya
2011

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN: 978-9966-030-06-1

Table of ContentsAcknowlegement

4Introduction

5Why Bother About Climate Change?

5Consequences of Climate Change on Agriculture & Livelihoods

6

Uncontrolled Human Activities Aggravate Climate Change

7What is Possible in Climate Change Adaptation in Enugu State

8

What is the Present Situation of Climate Change Adaptation?

8

How to Reduce/Eliminate the Gaps?

9

The Need for Collaboration Between Science & Practice10

Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu State | 3

Acknowledgement
This policy brief was produced as part of the implementation of the African
Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) Phase VI Strategic Plan, 2008 – 2012funded by ATPS Donors including the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (DGIS)
the Netherlands, Rockefeller Foundation, amongst others. The authors hereby
thank the ATPS for the financial and technical support during the implementationof the program. The Authors particularly thank the ATPS Climate Sense Program
Director, Dr. Kevin Urama (ATPS); and the Program Coordinators including Prof.
Francis Mutua (ATPS Kenya); Dr. George Essegbey (ATPS Ghana), Prof. Eric
Eboh (ATPS Nigeria), Dr. Nicholas Ozor (ATPS), and Ms. Wairimu Mwangi (ATPS)
for their technical support during the research process.

4 | Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu StateIntroduction
Climate change has become our new reality. It brings with it changes in weather
patterns that can have serious repercussions for all of us, upsetting seasonal
cycles, harming ecosystems and water supply, affecting agricultural farming
systems and food production, causing sea-levels to rise. Climate Change canlead to floods, landslides, drought and famine. As the weather becomes fiercer
and storms increase in frequency and intensity, serious socio-economic
consequences may result. Malnutrition and disease become common
occurrences. Climate change has a cumulative effect on natural resources,
agriculture and the balance of nature. Its effects are already visible in Enugu state
and Nigeria in general.

Why Bother About Climate Change?
Farmers grow a variety of food crops in Enugu state, Nigeria, and all aredependent on rainfall. In the rainfall abundant areas, rain-fed crops are planted,
whereas in the drier parts of the country, crops that can tolerate less water arecultivated. Food production on the whole, however, has not kept pace withpopulation increase in Nigeria's and specifically in Enugu state. Climate Change
can seriously affect agricultural production, hence food security. Enugu State, atpresent, is not food secure, and is therefore highly vulnerable to the effects ofclimate change.
Land degradation reduces the quality and productivity of land. Many factors canlead to land degradation, and climate change is one of the underlying causes.
This results in water and wind erosion of land at different degrees in different
parts of the state, drought and the creation of deserts, acid and salt accumulation,depletion of minerals, and heavy-metal contamination. Also, in Nigeria all forms ofland degradation occur in different scales and no part of the country is safe from it.
The low-lying nature of Nigeria's 800 km coastline makes it prone to coastal
erosion and flooding, all of which are climate change-induced forms of landdegradation. In the Sahelian zone of Nigeria's north, the most pronounced
climate change-related forms of land degradation are wind erosion and related
sand dune formation, drought and desertification. Sheet erosion–which results inthe complete removal of arable land–is Nigeria's biggest threat to agriculture,especially in the sandy soil regions of south-eastern Nigeria which encompasses
Enugu state.
Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu State | 5

Prevailing climate is critical in controlling the ecosystem structure. Forests
provide important goods and services, which include food, non-timber forest
products, timber, and firewood, the natural regulation of biochemical cycles,
genetic resources, soil and water conservation, carbon reservoirs, recreation,
cultural and spiritual values. Forests play a key role in the functioning of thebiosphere and indirectly affect the provision of many other goods and services.
Changes in climatic and atmospheric composition have led to the diminishing offorests in Enugu state and Nigeria at-large. The upper limits of the tropicalrainforest are already receding. Given the sensitive nature of the forest
ecosystems, forest resources have become highly vulnerable to even slightchanges in climate systems. Changes in temperature, precipitation and water
cycle dynamics, therefore, can lead to remarkable forest-cover loss in the state.

Consequences of climate change on agriculture andlivelihoods
Climate change affects agricultural farming systems in Enugu state in a numberof ways. Extreme weather events such as thunderstorms, heavy winds, andfloods devastate farmlands and can lead to crop failure. Pests and crop diseases
migrate in response to climate variations and potentially pose a threat tolivestock. Food security is vulnerable to extreme weather events such as drought
and floods. When the Sahelian zone of the country suffered drought in the 1970's
and 1980's, harvest failure was remarkable throughout the region. Close to one
million livestock were lost, affecting meat and dairy supply throughout thecountry. Flood hazards in both the north and south of the country consistently
posed a danger to farmlands and hence, to food security. Food security isdependant on rainfall and rainfall amount, and is affected by the age-long abilityof farmers to predict when to plant their crops thereby resulting to changes in theirfarming systems. Unpredictable changes in the onset of rains in the last three to10 years have led to situations where crops planted with the arrival of early rains
get smothered in the soil by an unexpected dry spell that can follow earlyplanting. That crop smothering, and the late arrival of rains due to climate
variability, results in harvest failures in ecosystems that rely on rain-fed
agriculture.
The proliferation of pests and crop diseases (again originating with climatechange) can hinder storage when the need arises because of temperature
6 | Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu Stateincreases. The pests, in turn, attack crops and animals. The current warming
trend hinders livestock production and reproduction by reducing animal weightgain and dairy production. As well, livestock are usually subjected to long treks tofind water and grass in the more southerly areas of the country during the dry
seasons. Warming trends also affect the growth of/farming systems of grain
crops such as maize, guinea corn, and rice, and makes storage of root crops andvegetables difficult. Indicators of land degradation due to climate change are
already apparent in Nigeria especially in communities of Enugu state.
Deforestation, characterized by the quickly disappearing forest cover, is one
symptom made worse by human poor land use systems. Changes intemperature, rainfall and water cycle dynamics can induce other problems.
Scorched and retreating forests, reduced soil productivity in some places due tothe removal of soil nutrients by massive soil erosion and flooding, farmlands
devastated by heavy rainfall-induced soil erosion, as in the southeasternecozone, are but a few. Changes in climatic conditions in Enugu state also modify
tree growth and development, reducing the availability of non-timber forest
products such as spicy vegetables and mushrooms. Climate change equally
increases the incidence of pests and diseases that attack and decimate forest
trees. It can lead to species extinction in the various ecozones of Nigeria andEnugu state; for example, the Iroko and oil bean in the southeast; various
mahogany species in southwest; the baobab and the locust bean in thenorthwest; gum arabic in the northeast; and the list goes on!!!.

Uncontrolled human activities aggravate climatechange
Human activities are known to drive both land degradation and climate change.
Deforestation, for example is a well-known factor causing land degradation byerosion. Also contributing to the problem are population pressures (urbanpopulations are growing and contributing to environmental degradation andpollution), failure to implement appropriate technologies (the burning of fossil
fuels and firewood is prevalent), poverty, and local land-use policies.
Humankind is guilty of decreasing forest density, pollution of environment anddegradation of land resources that results to food storage. While changes inclimate conditions affect agricultural and forest productivity overall, illegal
Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu State | 7

logging in Enugu state Nigeria has exacerbated the decline in both density andfloristic richness of the forests. With the progressive and rapid disappearance ofthe most popular indigenous timber species, attention has now shifted to virtually
every other tree species to meet the rising demand for wood.

What is possible in climate change adaptation inEnugu state?
Agricultural production could be increased by doubling the crop areas or byinvesting in agriculture management and indigenous technology.
Producing/uses of more drought-resistant crops is one of the recent indigenous
technology that has helped farmers in Enugu to adapt to recent climate changes
in the state. This would help, as would better management of water resource,
more efficient food storage systems, improved processing methods and better
pest management thereby give better yield of the crops. Farmers learn (and canbe encouraged) to exercise discretion in planting with the arrival of the earliest
rains in the season. Water reservoirs are being constructed in dry areas. Mixedfarming practices are also being introduced.

What is the present situation of climate change
adaptation?
Individuals and communities in Enugu state have adapted behaviours or policies
geared at restoring and conserving the environment. Increased self-reliance,
avoiding unregulated forest exploitation, planting appropriate tree species,
protecting water sheds, using agroforestry and organic farming techniques andmaintaining adequate food supplies lessen the vulnerability of the food supply
sector are some of the recent adaptive measures by different farming
communities in the state. Also maintaining water levels so that fish can spawn,
planting drought-resistant crops, draining wetlands for rice cultivation, andreforming land tenure and land management policies in some communities are
the recent mechanisms in place.
At some local communities, erecting contour bunds around farmlands as asafeguard against soil erosion and flooding; using organic manure instead of themore preferred chemical fertilizers; establishing wood lots with fast-maturing
8 | Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu Stateplant species that yield domestic fuel wood for community members; reducing
bush-burning; using disease-resistant, quick-maturing crop and plant species(cassava sticks, fruits and nuts); properly preserving seeds and plant seedlings toensure healthy germination in the succeeding farming season; also helps tomitigate the affects of climate change. Furthermore, limiting access to erodedand erosion-prone areas, and initiating and stringently enforcing anti-erosion
laws which act as human deterrents has been put in place in some communities.
Other adaptation measures include: adopting new farming approaches (such as
mushroom farming and planting more fruit tree orchards), using improved
varieties; identifying and conserving threatened and endangered species ofplants and animals and raising public awareness on the importance of biodiversity in different communities.
But, perhaps the most effective method of staving off the negative effects ofclimate change is educating the public on the menace of land erosion and thepublic's role in tackling the problem, and educating Nigerians/Enugu State
communities overall on how climate change will affect all of human activity. The
key indigenous technologies adopted by farmers in Enugu to combat climatechange in the area are change in planting date, change in cropping patterns,change in harvesting date of crops, change in planting distance, introduction of
new breeds of crop(s), changes in the storage mechanism and change in theprocessing techniques. Others are use of mixed farming/cropping, agroforestry,and lastly tunguya farming techniques among others.

How to reduce/eliminate the gaps?
Perhaps the biggest obstacle is lack of awareness and knowledge. The people ofEnugu State and Nigerians in general need to be more educated and better
informed about climate change. They should also be made aware of climatechange and its adverse effects on their livelihoods especially in the absence ofadequate adaptation measures.
Effecting change is difficult, and that is probably the main reason for not taking
action. Taboo and tradition may keep some people and communities frommaking the necessary changes to the way they do things in Enugu State. Somelocal farmers, for example, believe that fertilizer defiles the ground. Industries
Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu State | 9have been manufacturing fertilizers using environmentally-unfriendly methods
for many years, but changing to new methods can seem to be impractical andmore costly. These new methods may not be common knowledge, either. The
existing land tenure and management systems, and current government
policies, are not complimentary to adaptation strategies.
There is also a heavy dependence on agricultural and forest resources in Enugu
state especially in local communities, and a dependence on environmentallyunfriendly energy sources. Lack of universal public awareness and educationprohibit the state from adapting to climate change. There is a dearth of public
policies that target adaptation, and those that do exist are inadequate.

The need for collaboration between science andpracticeThere are hundreds of reasons to be concerned. Increased poverty, unplanned
urbanization, deforestation, over-cultivation of grasslands and agricultural lands,
loss of flora and fauna the list is endless. In a nutshell, all economic activity isaffected by climate change, as is quality of life. It is obvious that unless weconcern ourselves now, it will be too late to help Enugu state society takepreventative measures and we will end up being ill-equipped to deal with our newreality. The scientific community must be involved in studying climate change andforecasting weather, and then transmitting this information to all sectors of thesociety, industry and economy so that these sectors can adapt and be ready tomeet a very different future than the present. The Enugu State government,
especially, should adopt strategies and policies that will encourage improved
farming practices and agricultural methods, and that will protect our cherishedagricultural activities which is the mainstay of our economy.

This Policy Brief is drawn from the larger ongoing report of a study on TECHNOLOGICAL AND
FARMING SYSTEMS ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN FARMING COMMUNITIES OFENUGU STATE, NIGERIA which is aimed at finding out the current indigenous technologies
in-use to combat climate change challenges in Enugu state, Nigeria. The study wascommissioned by ATPS Nairobi, Kenya. The views expressed in this Policy Brief are those ofthe authors and not necessarily representative of ATPS or the Institutions which the authors
represent.
10 | Technological Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Insights from Enugu StateThe African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.

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Policy Studies Network
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ISBN: 978-9966-030-06-1