Isa Umar, Abuja
The Inaugural Nigeria Music Industry Climate Change Summit hosted by musician and lawyer, Ugochukwu Uneabunso, at the UNE-50 concert has confronted one of the planet’s most pressing challenges, climate change, by uniting industry stakeholders, climate change activists, and policymakers to discuss the role of Nigerian artists in promoting climate action.
The concert held in the capital city, Abuja, found an expression where the intersection of sound and sustainability was center stage, highlighting how music can raise awareness, inspire action, and contribute to environmental solutions.
The convener of the summit, Ugochukwu Uneabunso noted that the idea behind the summit was to spread the message of climate change in a way that everyone can understand.
“A normal person in a local community in Maiduguri does not understand what we call flood, does not understand when we say the sea is rising, does not understand what we call drought and desertification, and does not understand what we mean by afforestation and deforestation.
“So, these are the things we need to transform into lyrics to tell them that when you do this, this is the effect.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, represented by Obinna Nwaka, said the music industry should explore how the cultural, social, and emotional power of music can drive awareness, advocacy, and behavioral change for peace and development.
He said “As Nigerians, let us not shy away from it because climate change is a call to action that we must all embark on.”
On his part, a Nigerian Musician and one of the performers, Johnny Drille, said, “I am happy that this discussion is happening now because a couple of years ago, it wasn’t a conversation we wanted to be having, but there’s still a long way to go, but we will get there.”
Another Nigerian artist, Slowdogg, averred on using his platform to promote the cause: “Well, I have so many social media platforms; once I put it there, fire.”
