By MaryAnn Chukwuma
The Anambra State Government has approved the creation of a Climate Change Department within the State Civil Service as part of efforts to strengthen climate action and improve environmental governance. The development was contained in a circular issued on Aug. 19, by the Office of the Head of Service and signed by the Head of Service, Ngozi Anuli Iwouno.
According to the circular, the new department will operate under the Ministry of Environment and serve as the state’s institutional framework for coordinating climate-related policies, programmes and activities. Its responsibilities will include the development and implementation of climate change policies, mitigation and adaptation programmes, climate-related data management, stakeholder engagement and environmental awareness.
The department will also liaise with relevant Federal Government agencies and other stakeholders, underscoring the increasing importance of coordinated climate action at both national and sub-national levels. The circular further clarified that the Climate Change Department would be integrated into the mainstream civil service and would not function as a separate or autonomous service.
It stated that officers assigned to the department would retain their existing professional cadres and continue to operate under applicable civil service rules and Schemes of Service. The Office of the Head of Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, will identify qualified personnel from relevant fields, including Environmental Sciences, Forestry and Urban Planning, for deployment to the new department.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment has been directed to commence the necessary administrative processes for the department’s effective take-off. Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have also been urged to provide the necessary cooperation to facilitate the smooth establishment and operation of the department.
MaryAnn Chukwuma is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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