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Next five years set to be hottest period ever – UN
It is near-certain that 2023-2027 will be the warmest five-year period ever recorded, the United Nations warned Wednesday as greenhouse gases and El Nino combine to send temperatures soaring.
Global temperatures are soon set to exceed the more ambitious target set out in the Paris climate accords, with a two-thirds chance that one of the next five years will do so, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said.
The hottest eight years ever recorded were all between 2015 and 2022 — but temperatures are forecast to increase further as climate change accelerates.
“There is a 98-percent likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period as a whole, will be the warmest on record,” the WMO said.
The 2015 Paris Agreement saw countries agree to cap global warming at “well below” two degrees Celsius above average levels measured between 1850 and 1900 — and 1.5C if possible.
The global mean temperature in 2022 was 1.15C above the 1850-1900 average.
The WMO said there was a 66 percent chance that annual global surface temperatures will exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the years 2023-2027, with a range of 1.1C to 1.8C forecasted for each of those five years.
‘Uncharted territory’
While this does not mean that the world will permanently exceed the Paris benchmark, “WMO is sounding the alarm that we will breach the 1.5C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency”, said the agency’s chief Petteri Taalas.
“A warming El Nino is expected to develop in the coming months and this will combine with human-induced climate change to push global temperatures into uncharted territory.
“This will have far-reaching repercussions for health, food security, water management and the environment. We need to be prepared.”
El Nino is the large-scale warming of surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. The weather phenomenon normally occurs every two to seven years.
Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between.
The WMO said earlier this month that the chances of El Nino developing were 60 percent by the end of July and 80 percent by the end of September.
Typically, El Nino increases global temperatures in the year after it develops — which in this cycle would be 2024.
Despite the cooling influence of La Nina conditions over much of the past three years, the warmest eight years on record have all been from 2015 onwards, with 2016 the hottest.
Heat gets trapped in the atmosphere by so-called greenhouse gases, which are at a record high.
The three major greenhouses gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Temperatures rising since 1960s
Global land and sea mean near-surface temperatures have increased since the 1960s.
The chances of temperatures temporarily exceeding 1.5C above the 1850-1990 average have risen steadily since 2015, a year when they were considered close to zero.
Britain’s Met Office national weather service is the WMO’s lead centre on yearly to 10-yearly climate predictions.
While there is a 66 percent chance that one year between 2023 and 2027 will exceed the 1.5C threshold, there is now a 32 percent chance that the entire five-year mean will do so, the Met Office said.
“Global mean temperatures are predicted to continue increasing, moving us away further and further away from the climate we are used to,” said Met Office expert scientist Leon Hermanson.
Temperatures in 2023 are likely to be higher than the 1991-2020 average in almost all regions except for Alaska, South Africa, South Asia and parts of Australia, the WMO said.
Parts of the South Pacific Ocean are likely to be cooler than average
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Wednesday inaugurated a seven-member committee on the establishment of state police, giving it four weeks to submit its report.
The inauguration was held during his maiden conference with senior police officers at the Peacekeeping Conference Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Charging members of the panel to discharge their duties with professionalism and objectivity, Disu described the assignment as “both significant and timely,” noting that it would shape the framework through which state policing may operate in Nigeria.
“In carrying out this assignment, your deliberations must be guided by professionalism, objectivity, and a clear appreciation of the unique complexities of policing a diverse nation such as our own,” the IGP said.
He stated that if properly designed and effectively implemented, state policing holds significant potential benefits for the country.
“By bringing law enforcement closer to communities, state police institutions can deepen local knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker and more targeted responses to emerging threats,” he added.
The committee is expected to review existing policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess community security needs and emerging risks, and propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures.
It will also address issues relating to recruitment, training, standards and resource allocation, as well as develop accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure professionalism and public trust.
The panel is chaired by Olu Ogunsakin, with Bode Ojajuni as secretary. Other members are Emmanuel Ojukwu, Okebechi Agora, Suleyman Gulma, Ikechukwu Okafor and Tolulope Ipinmisho.
Disu said the committee had about four weeks to conclude its assignment and submit a comprehensive report.
The move marks one of the first major steps taken by the new police chief since his appointment and confirmation a few days ago.
The development comes amid rising security concerns across the country, with several stakeholders advocating state policing as part of measures to tackle insecurity.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier asked the National Assembly to commence the process of amending relevant laws to pave the way for the creation of state police.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday swore in Olatunji Disu as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
Disu took the oath of office at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The President also administered the oath of office to six commissioners of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and two commissioners of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
The ceremonies were witnessed by ministers, senior government officials and family members of the appointees.
The council meeting began shortly after the swearing-in.
In attendance were Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs EsthMrs.Walson-Jack.
Disu was appointed acting IGP on February 25, 2026, by President Tinubu, following the resignation of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
His appointment was subsequently endorsed by the Nigeria Police Council (NPC).
The former Assistant Inspector-General of Police assumed office last Wednesday.
He previously served as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, after his promotion to the rank last year.
A former head of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Disu has pledged to deliver accountable, modern and professional policing.
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