For Nigeria to realise its climate commitment, there must be collaboration among government, private sector stakeholders, funders, and civil society groups, as independent action will not achieve results, energy experts under the aegis of The Electricity Hub (TEH) have said.
The experts made their recommendations in Abuja at the 91st Power Dialogue, themed: ‘COP 28: Keeping the 1.5 Climate Commitment in Nigeria’, hosted by TEH, a subsidiary of public policy solutions firm, Nextier.
Moderated by Emeka Okpukpara, the Partner for the Power arm of the Nextier Group, the dialogue had a panel of experts that included Michael Ivenso, Director of Energy Transport and Infrastructure at the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC); Lucky Abeng, Research Expert in Climate Justice from the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Networks; and Zainab Datti, Project Manager for the Energy sector portfolio at Agence Francaisede Developpement (AFD).
They focused on achieving Nigeria’s energy transition in line with her climate commitment at the recent international climate change conference – 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28).
Obukpara noted Nigeria’s strong commitment to addressing climate change and sustainable development, going by its attendance of the global summit with a delegation of 1,400 representatives, comprising 2% of total attendees.
The panellists unanimously agreed that “achieving Nigeria’s climate commitment requires collaboration among the government, funders, private sector stakeholders, and civil societies.
“Acting independently is not viable for conducting a national goal, making collaboration crucial,” they noted.
The session delved into strategies for improving renewable energy integration, addressing grid stability and reliability challenges, and actively pursuing energy transition goals, while proffering innovative solutions for optimizing renewable energy deployment and ensuring a smooth transition to a sustainable energy future.
They recalled that during COP28 in November 2023, Nigeria secured significant pledges totaling $300 million to combat energy poverty, demonstrating international recognition of Nigeria’s energy challenges.
In her presentation, Zainab Datti, however, emphasised the importance of tailoring climate action strategies to Nigeria’s unique context, even as she noted that Nigeria leverages its influence within Africa and ECOWAS to secure tailored financing solutions for sustainable development initiatives.
While acknowledging the global nature of climate change, the panelists stressed the need to balance energy access with sustainable development, aligning with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Michael Ivenso stated that, “the increased engagement of the private sector at COP28 signifies a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s climate journey. As we emphasize sustainable development, the active involvement of businesses is essential in accelerating progress towards our climate goals.”
He pointed out that Nigeria’s 2% representation in absolute population terms paled in comparison to the substantial 70% private sector presence at the conference.
Stressing the importance of utilizing domestic solutions, he highlighted growing security risks associated with escalating temperatures and committed to global initiatives like the Global Coding Pledge.
It was agreed that the dynamic exchange of ideas at COP28 deepened awareness of the urgency surrounding climate action, highlighting the significance of global cooperation in addressing shared environmental challenges.
The robust representation of the private sector at COP28 reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to harnessing the expertise and resources of the business community for meaningful climate action.
