As Nigeria joins global leaders for the Conference of Parties (COP) of the Unite Nations Frame Work Convention on Climate Change at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi has expressed high optimism that the expectations of Nigeria and Africa at COP 27 will be achieved as issues that are germaine to them are already in the front burner of agenda for discussions.
Speaking on the expectations of Nigeria at COP 27 dubbed Africa and action COP, the Minister, who is also the head of Nigeria’s delegation stated that amongst other issues Nigeria will push for loss and damage.
“We are focused on ensuring that we bring the issue of loss and damage to the fore and we are already making progress in this regards, because during the Pre-Cop engagement the COP 27 President, Sameh Shoukry highlighted flood related issue with particular reference to Nigeria and Pakistan amongst other nations as one of the key issue on the agenda for discussion, already the issues of flood is linked to loss and damage and that is of priority to us as a nation.”
Speaking further, Abdullahi said Nigeria delegation will also focus on African carbon market initiative as it try to kick start the framework for carbon trading, adding that similar attention will also be giving to a novel issue called debt for climate swap aimed to call attention of developed countries to the impact of their industrialisation on developing countries and the need for them to mitigate the impact on the continent and Nigeria in particular.
“In addition, Nigeria as the leader of the PAN African Agency for the Great Green Wall will focus on climate finance to support its activities in the Sahel Region particularly in the most endemic Northern states described as the front line states where there is fast approaching desert encroachment and of course wetland drying up, these and others are huge issues that we will be focusing on.
Speaking on unfulfilled promises made to developing countries by the developed countries at previous COP meetings, the Minister stated that Nigeria will not take a no in its approach but will align its position with Africa’s agenda that was agreed at the Dakar meeting.
“Part of what we will do is to galvanise the action plan for Africa to push for a positive climate funding action from the developed countries, that is why the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan is aligned to ensuring that we get the requisite funding for smooth transition to renewables without which it will be very difficult to deploy infrastructure to support our mini grid, deployment of solar and support bio-fuel.
“African countries and developing countries indeed understand that funding is important in whatever position COP 27 will take.”
As leader of Nigeria’s delegation and representative of President Muhammadu Buhari to COP 27, highlighted plans to interface and engage with private sector and investors that could support Nigeria’s energy transition plan saying that a number of bilateral meetings and engagement has been arranged to discuss funding from development partners and the private sector, stressing that he intend to capitalise on the GGW accelerator which is a window for financing the activities of the Great Green Wall member states.
“Towards these ends, a side meeting has been arranged with the sustainable energy for all donors that focus on climate finance particularly carbon trading, “we are also working with Nigerian private enterprise amongst other development partners.”
He assured that Nigeria’s delegation will return to the country with a strong, dependable and bankable commitment from development partners.
“We have secured the assurance of the Head of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for all, Damilola Ogunbiyi who is also a Nigerian that there is a window of about 400 million dollars to support Africa’s carbon market initiative, we are beginning to record achievements even before we started”
“Nigeria negotiators will align with other African countries in recognition of what we agreed in Kigali and at the Africa Minsters’ Conference on Environment (AMCEN) declaration in Dakar Senegal. to focus on afforestation, Climate Finance, the need to mitigate desertification and of course to emphasised on loss and damage, this is important and crucial to address some of the climate challenges Africa grappled with.
