Nigeria, Oct. 6 -- Nigeria's Climate Emergency

Some years ago, when the River Niger burst its banks, Ibaji Local Government Area in Kogi State went under. Rice paddies that had fed families for generations disappeared overnight; schools doubled as emergency shelters; whole communities were displaced. Ojochenemi, a young rice farmer, counted her losses in silence, then said only one thing: "Even if the rains stop, how do I start again? Where do I get money?"

Her question is Nigeria's question. Climate change is not a far-off debate; it is here, shaping daily life. Floods now swallow our farms in the North and South, droughts parch our communities, and unpredictable rains push up the costs of food and energy. Estimates warn that we may al...