Dare Babalola
Nigeria has positioned itself as West Africa’s climate action leader following its submission of the region’s first 3rd National Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
This comes as Vice President Kashim Shettima prepares to unveil Nigeria’s green transition roadmap to world leaders, positioning the country to turn its climate commitments into concrete investment opportunities and projects.
The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Council on Climate Change, Tenioye Majekodunmi, disclosed this during the ongoing thirtieth Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil.
“This is particularly what we call the implementation COP that we have all been waiting for here in Belem, and we are very excited that it has come. COP 30 is particularly important for us in Nigeria because of the momentum that we have gathered in the last two months leading up to the summit. First with the submission of our NDC 3.0 and us being the first West African country to submit—this is a turning point for Nigeria,” Majekodunmi said.
Majekodunmi noted that Nigeria aims to achieve several key objectives at COP 30.
She said, “One of the main things we are hoping to take away is to turn all the deliverables in our NDC 3.0 into pipeline projects, partnerships and pay-for-performance because we need to start turning from paper to projects, and COP 30 is where Nigeria would be doing this.
“Secondly, just a few days ago, the Nigerian government approved the National Carbon Market Framework and also moved for the operationalisation of our National Climate Change Fund. That decision really gives investors a clear policy direction and signals that Nigeria is open for high-integrity carbon investments which deliver real mitigation and community benefits.
“Belem gives us the right global matchmaking platform to be able to achieve this, and we are quite excited about what is going to happen.”
The NCCC Boss also highlighted the importance of South-South cooperation, stating, “It is something that has never happened before. We are here in the Amazon, we are in the forest, and this collaboration with the Amazon, Congo, and Guinea region forest dialogue—building on what Brazil’s forest protection initiatives have put in place—really just strengthens the Belem agenda. We are excited to be able to see how we can improve on this collaboration and take a lot of things home.”
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the President/Spokesperson for Nigeria’s Vice President, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals, “For us as a country, it is not just about our participation at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, but it shows clearly the President’s commitment to the 2016 Paris accord, to which Nigeria is a signatory, and ensuring that article 13 of that accord, which talks about climate change, is duly pursued and being implemented to the letter.”
He added, “So, here in Belem, the Vice President of Nigeria will definitely be speaking to the spirit and body of Nigeria’s intent with particular emphasis on the country’s 3rd National Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0).”
The Presidential aide also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to reducing emissions, “Nigeria is fully committed to its targets of reducing emissions by 32 per cent by 2035.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima will join other world leaders, development partners, and business executives at a high-level thematic session on “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans” and present Nigeria’s climate action address at the general plenary of leaders.
