Perception of Climate Variability, Its Anthropogenic Implications and Socio-Economic Development in the West African Sub-Regional States of Nigeria and Niger Republic.

Abstract

Increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall contribute to climate variability which has become a global phenomenon leading to frequent drought, desertification, desert encroachment, loss of biodiversity as its common features. This paper is a comparative analysis of the anthropogenic implications of climate variability on the socio-economic development in the West African states of Nigeria and Niger republic. Specifically, it attempts to ascertain the influence of climate variability on food security, health status and social cohesion. To achieve this, a sample of four hundred respondents was taken from the target populations. Questionnaires consisting of multiple-choice questions were used to draw responses from the two countries. The study employed the descriptive statistical method for data analysis. The study found that there is significant positive relationship between climate variability and food security, health and social cohesion among the population. In line with this finding, the study recommends the need to build and developed cohesive societies by means of complementary, coherent and systematic implementation of local public intervention programmes for climate variability.