The Minister of Information and
National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said that the federal government only
sponsored 422 delegates to the Convention of Parties (COP) to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) contrary to claims in
some media.
He said that no fewer than 70,000
participants and delegates from over 100 countries attended the COP-28 held in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Idris emphasised that Nigerians
that President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation
are in Dubai for serious business, not a jamboree.
The minister said: “The federal
government has noted with interest the public conversation on the number of
delegates from Nigeria attending the ongoing Climate Summit in Dubai, otherwise
called COP-28, and the need to provide clarity in line with a standing pledge
to conduct itself with transparency and accessibility regarding public
information.
“The Convention of Parties (COP)
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the
world’s pre-eminent Climate Change Conference, attended this year (COP-28) by
more than 70,000 participants and delegates from over 100 countries. Nigeria’s
representation is very much in line with our status as Africa’s leading
Sovereign voice and player in climate action.
“Parties to this Convention from
Nigeria include government officials, representatives from the private sector,
civil society, the voluntary sector, state governments, media, multilateral
institutions, representatives of marginalised communities, and many others.
He further stated that it is
imperative to point out that the overall Nigerian delegation to COP-28
comprises Government-sponsored (Federal and State Governments) and
non-government-sponsored participants (from Private Companies, NGOs, CSOs,
Media, academia, etc).
The minister said: “The federal
government-funded delegation is made up of a total of 422 persons, as follows:
National Council on Climate Change = 32; Federal Ministry of Environment = 34;
All Ministries = 167; Presidency = 67; Office of the Vice President = 9;
National Assembly = 40 and Federal Parastatals/Agencies = 73
“As the biggest economy and most
populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive
vulnerability to climate change, Nigeria has a significant stake in climate
action, and our active and robust participation at COP is therefore not
unwarranted.
“COP-28 presents an array of
investment and partnership opportunities for the various sectors affected by
climate change, and Nigeria is already benefiting from its ongoing
participation, as demonstrated by the following:
“Nigeria and Germany signed an
accelerated performance agreement to expedite the implementation of the
Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) to improve Nigeria’s electricity supply.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and CEO of
FGN Power Company, and Ms. Nadja Haakansson, Siemens Energy’s Senior Vice
President and Managing Director for Africa, at a ceremony witnessed by
President Tinubu and Chancellor Scholz.
According to him, President
Tinubu hosted a high-level meeting with stakeholders and investors on the
Nigeria Carbon Market and the Electric Buses Rollout Programme on the margins
of the COP28 climate summit.
He added that the president
unveiled the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan, co-chaired by the Executive
Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, and
the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dr.
Dahiru Salisu.
He said: “The Electric Buses
program is only the first step in a series of innovative, clean, modern, and
sustainable initiatives across diverse sectors, all aimed at simultaneously
addressing climate change-related challenges, reducing carbon footprint,
modernizing infrastructure systems, and positioning Nigeria as an attractive
destination for global investments.
“Nigeria stands to benefit from
the Loss and Damage Fund established during COP-27 in Egypt and formally
operationalized at the opening plenary of COP-28 in Dubai. The Fund will
provide substantial non-debt financing to support countries most affected by
the impact of climate change. Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been
pledged as contributions to the Fund.
“The President also met the President of UAE
to concretize engagements between the two countries. This is aside from the
bilateral talks held with several countries and multilateral partners.
“It should be highlighted that,
over the years, Nigeria has firmly demonstrated its climate action credentials
by being the first African country to launch its Energy Transition Plan, the
first African country to issue a Sovereign Green Bond and one of the first to
pass national climate change legislation.
“President Tinubu has been
unequivocal in his position that Africa, which is battling problems of poverty
and security and struggling to provide education and healthcare to her people,
cannot be told to abandon its primary source of income, which is mostly from extractive
industries, without the West providing the funding and investment in
alternative and clean energy sources.
“Since assuming office, President
Tinubu has been a vocal champion for the African continent on the global stage,
whether at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the G20, or the ongoing
COP-28. The President has been supported by an equally active and engaged
Nigerian delegation at these various fora.
“It is, therefore, essential to
keep setting the records straight while assuring Nigerians that President
Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation are in Dubai
for serious business, not a jamboree.”
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