Climate experts have warned that Africa remains ill-prepared for increasingly frequent and devastating climate disasters, calling for urgent investment in resilient infrastructure, stronger regional cooperation and dedicated funding to protect vulnerable communities.
Speaking at the 6th School of Environmental Technology International Conference, SETIC 2026, at the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, a professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Prof. Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu, said governments across the continent had failed to move beyond climate plans and predictions to concrete action.
“If you are only ready to respond when people have died, you are not ready. If you only predict disasters but cannot prevent them, you are not ready,” she argued.
Magidimisha-Chipungu described climate change as a global challenge rather than a problem peculiar to Nigeria or Africa, stressing that countries must work together to strengthen disaster preparedness.
She warned that with Africa’s population projected to rise significantly by 2050, governments must begin planning now to build resilient communities capable of withstanding the growing impacts of climate change.
“We cannot continue like this. As academics, we cannot allow people to die. We must take responsibility by advising those in authority,” Prof Chipungu insisted
The climate expert lamented that although many African countries have developed climate policies and action plans that are admired globally, implementation remains the continent’s greatest challenge.
“We have beautiful plans in Africa which many other countries copy from, but we have not given enough time and resources to implementation. We need implementation strategies, not just plans,” she further maintained.
She also called on African governments to intentionally allocate funds for climate action, strengthen regional cooperation, share information and develop a common African strategy for addressing climate change.
According to her, countries should invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, maintain critical public facilities and integrate climate change education into school curricula to prepare future generations for environmental challenges.
Speaking specifically on Nigeria, she urged authorities to improve infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather, ensure climate budgets translate into action and strengthen coordination among relevant institutions.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FUT Minna, Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Abdullahi Mohammed, described the conference theme as timely and urged participants to actively contribute ideas that would promote environmental sustainability.
In his welcome address, the Conference Chair, Prof. Ogunbode Ezekiel Babatunde, said research should go beyond academic publications and conference proceedings to influence public policy, solve societal problems and improve communities.
Also speaking, the Dean of the School of Environmental Technology, Prof. Olurotimi Adebowale Kemiki, described the conference theme as a challenge to Africans to determine the kind of future they intend to leave for coming generations.
He expressed optimism that the conference was expected to produce practical recommendations that would shape sustainable development and resilient communities across Africa.
The three-day conference attracted scholars, researchers, policymakers and industry professionals from Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia and other countries to deliberate on environmental stewardship, climate action and sustainable development.
