COP 30: Nigeria Leads West Africa In Climate Commitment, Eyes Investment Boost

Nigeria has positioned itself as West Africa’s climate action leader following its submission of the region’s first 3rd National Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

This comes as Vice President Kashim Shettima prepares to unveil Nigeria’s green transition roadmap to world leaders, positioning the country to turn its climate commitments into concrete investment opportunities and projects.

Director General of Nigeria’s National Council on Climate Change, Tenioye Majekodunmi, disclosed this during the ongoing thirtieth Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, in an interview with journalists ahead of the summit’s opening ceremony.

According to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, the spokesman of the vice president, Majekodunmi noted that Nigeria’s pioneering status as the first West African nation to submit its National Determined Contribution positions the country to leverage COP 30 for substantial investment gains and partnerships.

Ten years ago, 196 Parties adopted the Paris Agreement in a landmark moment for global climate action at COP21 in Paris, France. At the heart of the agreement are the NDCs, through which each Party is required to communicate its emissions reduction targets and plans to adapt to climate change every five years from 2020 onward.

According to Majekodunmi, “This is particularly what we call the implementation COP that we have all been waiting for here in Belem, and we are very excited that it has come. COP 30 is particularly important for us in Nigeria because of the momentum that we have gathered in the last two months leading up to the summit. First with the submission of our NDC 3.0 and us being the first West African country to submit—this is a turning point for Nigeria.”

The NCCC boss revealed that the gains of the summit will further boost investors’ confidence in doing business with Nigeria.

“One of the main things we are hoping to take away is to turn all the deliverables in our NDC 3.0 into pipeline projects, partnerships and pay-for-performance because we need to start turning from paper to projects, and COP 30 is where Nigeria would be doing this.

“Secondly, just a few days ago, the Nigerian government approved the National Carbon Market Framework and also moved for the operationalisation of our National Climate Change Fund. That decision really gives investors a clear policy direction and signals that Nigeria is open for high-integrity carbon investments which deliver real mitigation and community benefits,” she added.

Majekodunmi emphasised that COP 30 serves as the right time and place to activate the market framework for Nigeria.

“Belem gives us the right global matchmaking platform to be able to achieve this, and we are quite excited about what is going to happen,” the NCCC DG stated.

As part of the gains of COP 30, Majekodunmi said Nigeria will use the global gathering to deepen its South-South cooperation as it concerns climate change matters.

“It is something that has never happened before. We are here in the Amazon, we are in the forest, and this collaboration with the Amazon, Congo, and Guinea region forest dialogue—building on what Brazil’s forest protection initiatives have put in place—really just strengthens the Belem agenda. We are excited to be able to see how we can improve on this collaboration and take a lot of things home,” she said.

For his part, Nkwocha said the participation of Nigeria demonstrates the country’s commitment towards the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Accord, and the sustained effort at actualising goal 13 of the accord.

“For us as a country, it is not just about our participation at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, but it shows clearly the President’s commitment to the 2016 Paris Accord, to which Nigeria is a signatory, and ensuring that Article 13 of that Accord, which talks about climate change, is duly pursued and being implemented to the letter.

“So, here in Belem, the Vice President of Nigeria will definitely be speaking to the spirit and body of Nigeria’s intent with particular emphasis on the country’s 3rd National Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0),” he stated.

The presidential aide also expressed Nigeria’s full commitment to its targets of reducing emissions by 32 per cent by 2035 as well as attaining net-zero emissions by 2060.

Vice President Shettima is billed to join other world leaders, development partners, and business executives at the opening ceremony of COP 30, themed: “Climate Action and Implementation,” with a strong focus on adaptation, forests, biodiversity, and climate justice.

Shettima will also attend the general plenary of leaders, where he is expected to present Nigeria’s climate action address.