Perceptive policy process for inclusive agricultural extension services for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Nigeria

The peak of international interest in the environment and sustainable development reached at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, Brazil was followed up in the 2001 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December, 2001 and 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa. Declarations from all the global summits have commonly emphasized sustainable and collective efforts to protect the environment. However, policy makers in Africa are finding it difficult to entrench viable policies to address development issues via emerging climate change phenomena. They are sceptical of the effectiveness of available mitigation and adaptation strategies. They fear specifically that strategies on carbon trading will impoverish African values, inhibit commercialization and market competition. This paper critically examines aspects of public policy formulation in view of the international provisions on climate change mitigation and adaptation. The analysis of policy process and implementation via relevant contexts clarifies issues considered depressing by indigenous people about climate change. The paper identifies stringent factors for consideration while drafting policies on climate change issues in Nigeria for development communication experts to implement sustainable climate change adaptation and mitigation campaigns through inclusive and consultative communication strategies. Finally, the paper recommends steps to be taken for effectual implementation of such policies in Nigeria.   Key Words: adaptation, mitigation, development, communication and policy