COP30: Nigeria leads West Africa in climate commitments, targets enhanced investments

*Vice-President Kashim Shettima prepares to unveil Nigeria’s green transition roadmap to world leaders at the ongoing 30th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 30), in Belém, Brazil, towards positioning the West African country to turn climate commitments into concrete investment opportunities and projects

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

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 (UNFCCC).

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, at the ongoing 30th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 30), in Belém, Brazil, is preparing to unveil the country’s green transition roadmap to world leaders in a move to position Nigeria to turn its climate commitments into concrete investment opportunities and projects.

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Tenioye Majekodunmi, Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), disclosed this development in an interview with news reporters ahead of the summit’s opening ceremony at the ongoing event in Brazil.

Majekodunmi noted with delight that Nigeria’s pioneering status as the first West African country to submit its National Determined Contribution (NDC) has positioned the country to leverage COP 30 for substantial investment gains and partnerships.

It is recalled that 196 Parties, a decade ago, adopted the Paris Agreement in a landmark moment for global climate action at COP21, in Paris, France.

ConsumerConnect reports the core of the agreement are the NDCs, through which each Party is required to communicate its emissions reduction targets, and plans to adapt to climate change every five years from 2020 onwards.

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COP30: Federal Government Leads West Africa In Climate Commitments, Targets Enhanced Investments

The Director-General of NCCC stated: “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.”

3 Major takeaways for Nigeria from COP30, by NCCC Chief

Interacting with the media at the event, Majekodunmi took the opportunity to highlight three key takeaways for Nigeria as the country participates in COP 30.

 

 

 

She disclosed that the gains of the summit would further boost investors’ confidence in doing business with Nigeria.

Majekodunmi noted: “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.

“Two, 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.”

The Director-General emphasised that COP 30 serves as the right time and place to activate the market framework for the country.

She further averred: “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.”

As part of the gains of COP 30, Majekodunmi stated that Nigeria would use the global gathering to deepen its South-South cooperation as it concerns climate change matters.

The Chief Executive of NCCC said: “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.”

Speaking at the forum also, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Nigeria’s Vice President on Media and Communications, said Nigeria’s participation in the international event demonstrates the country’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Accord, and the sustained effort at actualising goal 13 of the accord.

Nkwocha stated: “For us as a country, it is not just about our participation in COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, but it shows clearly the President’s commitment to the 2016 Paris accord, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

It is also to ensure that article 13 of that accord, which talks about climate change, is duly pursued and being implemented to the letter.

The Presidential aide noted: “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),” he stated.

The Presidential aide also said Nigeria is fully committed to its targets of reducing emissions by 32 percent by 2035 as well as attaining net-zero emissions by 2060.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, GCON, is expected to join other world leaders, development partners, and business executives at the opening ceremony of COP 30, with the theme: “Climate Action and Implementation”, with a strong focus on adaptation, forests, biodiversity, and climate justice.

Shettima will also attend the general plenary of leaders, where he is expected to present Nigeria’s climate action address, according to Nkwocha.

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