Nigeria on Top of Challenges in Climatic Condition, Says Ikeazor

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, has assured Nigerians that the nation is on top of challenges in the climatic condition, noting that the federal government has made several climate change interventions intended to mitigate climate change and increase resilience to avert the excruciating consequences of climate change.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday at the project launch and inception workshop of the Nigeria Deep Decarbonisation Project (NDDP), the minister said the nation had made several interventions to reverse the ugly trend of climate change in Nigeria.

She noted that parts of the interventions include President Muhammadu Buhari generously signing into law the Climate Change Bill passed by the National Assembly., stressing that the Climate Change Law provides an overarching legal framework to articulate a long-term climate plan for Nigeria to achieve a net zero carbon emission target, national climate resilience and an adequate volume of climate finance with a focus on national development priorities.

She said the Federal Government of Nigeria had, recently, also submitted its revised and robust Nationally Determined Contributions that articulate climate actions until 2030 in response to Article 4.2 of the Paris Agreement.

The minister said: “In addition, The Federal Government of Nigeria formulated and communicated its Long-Term Low GHG Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) envisioned that. By 2050, Nigeria is a country of low-carbon, climate-resilient, high-growth circular economy that reduces its current level of emissions by 50 per cent, moving towards having net-zero emissions across all sectors of its development in a gender-responsive manner.”

She added that the Federal Ministry of Environment also formulated Nigeria Decarbonisation Transition

Plan, which enumerated pathways for Nigeria to achieve net-zero by 2050.

Ikeazor recalled that the Nigerian government’s effort to transit to a low-emission economy was also echoed in all the discussions that the Federal Government of Nigeria was involved in at the COP26, noting that at the height of it, President Buhari promised a zero-net emission target for Nigeria by 2060.

She, however, said climate change concerns and awareness and policy are growing, but “there is still a need to better understand the quantities of emissions reduction that can be made from each of the sectors of the economy such as power, oil and gas, transport, agriculture, industry, etc.

“We need to have a better understanding of how rapidly such emissions can be made in tandem with sustainable economic growth, the technologies that will be needed and the wider economic and social implications of rapid emission reduction pathways. Such degree of clarity is critical for planning, financing, and securing the long-term investment needed to shift our economy toward a

green and climate resilient development future.”

She noted that the Nigeria Deep Decarbonisation Project is therefore a very important component in our effort to navigate Nigeria and the global world over the harsh and unpleasant risks of climate change. Indeed, as many here will attest, we are already being confronted with the dangerous consequences of extreme weather in recent times with huge financial stress.

The National Project Leader of the Nigeria Deep Decarbonisation Project (NDDP), Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, explained that the project has the potential of growing the Green Economy of Nigeria in keeping with world standards.

He said by the time of COP27 in Egypt, Nigeria should be able to put up a formidable position on the Green Economy.