…Lady Obareki Warns Climate Crisis Is Already Knocking on Akwa Ibom’s Doorsteps
With climate change increasingly disrupting farming, threatening public health and exposing communities to flooding and environmental degradation, the Patience Umo Eno Golden Initiative For All (GIFA) has launched a renewed grassroots campaign to help residents protect their environment and build resilience against the growing climate crisis.
The intervention took centre stage at the Ibom LED Centre, Uyo, where hundreds of residents from across the Uyo Federal Constituency gathered for a climate change sensitisation programme aimed at transforming awareness into action and equipping communities with practical solutions for a sustainable future.
Leading the charge, the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State and Chairman of the GIFA Board of Trustees, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, declared that climate change is no longer a future prediction but a present emergency already affecting livelihoods, food production, health and economic well-being.
Addressing students, farmers, market women and community stakeholders, she stressed that every household has a role to play in reversing environmental decline and protecting future generations.
She pointed to increasing floods, rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and worsening environmental degradation as clear warning signs that demand immediate action, while commending Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda for prioritising environmental sustainability through investments in healthcare, infrastructure, sanitation and flood-control measures.
Lady Obareki also spotlighted GIFA’s Water of Life Project as a strategic response to climate-related water challenges, revealing that solar-powered water schemes are already serving communities in 13 local government areas and are expected to reach all 369 wards in the state.
She challenged participants to become champions of environmental protection through tree planting, recycling, climate-smart farming and responsible waste management, insisting that meaningful climate action begins with everyday choices.
The programme culminated in expert discussions, environmental advocacy presentations and the distribution of solar lamps and economic tree seedlings, reinforcing GIFA’s message that climate resilience is not merely an environmental necessity but a pathway to healthier, safer and more sustainable communities.
By; Ikechukwu Agbamegbue, Uyo.
