A researcher, Dr Uche Agbanusa, has said that lack of visionary leadership is contributing to the persistent effects of climate change in Nigeria.

Agbanusa spoke at a two-day event organised by the Federal Government in partnership with Africa Business Venture and Investment Group (ABVIG) which organised the Africa Infrastructure Climate Change Summit 2025 in Abuja.

The event, which was held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel on Tuesday, drew participants from both the private and public sectors.

Speaking before the panel session, the researcher, and former National President of the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Agbanusa, spoke generally about the cause of some flood incidents in the country.

He mentioned the release of excess water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon, which flows into Nigeria, causing a lot of damage and destruction to lives and properties.

Agbanusa explained that failure of the Nigerian government to build a dam that will contain the overflow from Cameroon is the reason this tragedy occurs annually.

The researcher revealed that the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environment Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), had designed a dam which could contain whatever quantity of overflow from Lagdo dam, but the government has yet to make budgetary provision for the project.

Declaring the Panel Session open, Chairman of the panel, CP Abdullahi Mohammed Kabir, Disaster Department Force Headquarters, welcomed the public and panelists to the event and explained that his department provides security at disaster sites all over the country when they occur. He wished everyone a pleasant time.

Contributing during the panel session, Uche said the government has failed to provide leadership because despite the large number of intellectuals in the country who can make research work that will mitigate the effects of climate change, the government has refused to engage them.

“We can think outside the box to find a solution, but when there is no box, there is nothing to do about the situation.  We have issues with leadership at all levels, people who will lead us, direct us and so on. We have egg-heads in the country. Let our leaders begin to lead us well, then we will be more efficient,” he said.

Speaking from the private sector, the CEO of Gulf Energy said there are plans to reduce the effect of pollution l, thereby reducing the effect of climate change, but the private sector does not get direct assistance from the government. However, a lot of things have been done to help keep the environment safer, like the introduction of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).