President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said his administration remains steadfast in its resolve to reconstruct a better and cleaner Nigeria.
Tinubu gave this assurance in his address at the United Nations Climate Change Conference known as COP28 High Level Segment meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates earlier this month.
He admitted that as the President of a country of more than 200 million people and also in his role as Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he presides over a region battling with security threats and socioeconomic challenges.
Tinubu, in an op-ed on CNN, said these pressing issues and their link to climate change were at the forefront of his mind during his participation at the COP28 World Climate Action Summit.
“COP28 marked a critical milestone with the first Global Stocktake on implementing the Paris Agreements, a comprehensive review and inventory that allows each country to assess its progress in reducing emissions and achieving climate goals,” he said.
“Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has battled back against major obstacles, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, short-term challenges from economic reforms, and the ongoing unification of foreign exchange rates.
“However, we remain steadfast in our resolve to reconstruct a better, cleaner nation despite these challenges.”
President Tinubu also said he believes that Africa can build the world’s industrial future on a new green foundation.
He added that for his administration to uphold its legally binding commitment to a cleaner world, Nigeria launched the Nigerian Carbon Market Initiative at COP28 by joining the African Carbon Market Initiative.
Tinubu said the Intergovernmental Panel’s Sixth Assessment Report released earlier this year underscores the inadequacy and slowness of global efforts against climate change.
“It remains clear that developing nations, despite contributing minimally to the problem, endure most of its impacts.”
The President disclosed that Nigeria has taken significant steps and acted decisively in enacting the Climate Change Act and committing to net-zero emissions between 2050 and 2070.
However, Tinubu said challenges persist as energy and food crises caused by conflicts in Europe and the Middle East have weakened the willingness of wealthy nations to fully cooperate with less developed economies.
“This affects the ability of less developed countries to pursue national plans for achieving net zero emissions, even when those plans are detailed and achievable,” Tinubu said.
“Africa’s most populous nation has successfully mobilized tens of thousands of youths nationwide to plant 250,000 trees annually to honor a pledge to plant 25 million trees by 2030 as we build our great green wall to fight back against encroaching desert across the northern region of our nation,” Tinubu said.
“At COP28, I joined COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber, US Special Presidential Climate Envoy John Kerry, and Chinese Climate Envoy Xie Zhenhu on a panel where I committed Nigeria to eliminate methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases, highlighting our readiness to take the lead in Africa’s efforts to decarbonize the world economy.
“While in Berlin last month at the G20 Summit, I announced Nigeria’s commitment to develop blue and green hydrogen capacity for international export. In conversations with Middle Eastern oil producers, I also solidified this commitment.”
