The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), in partnership with the Center for African-American Research Studies (CAARS), convened the First African Conference on Climate Justice at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The conference, themed “Strategic Access, Mobilisation, and Equitable Allocation of Global Climate Funds for Vulnerable Populations,” was held yesterday, Wednesday, according to a statement from the commission.
RMAFC chairman Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu who was represented by the federal commissioner representing Kwara State, Ismail Mohammed Agaka welcomed participants to what he described as a landmark international conference on climate justice. He said, “While RMAFC’s mandate differs from that of CAARS, both energy and climate challenges are common concerns, and our collective efforts towards solving these challenges guarantee timely and better results.”
Dr. Shehu said global energy funding for vulnerable African populations was essential to achieving sustainable development.
He emphasised the importance of recent constitutional reforms in Nigeria, which moved electricity from the exclusive list to the concurrent legislative list. He expressed confidence that the deliberations and recommendations of the conference would significantly support ongoing efforts to address national and global climate challenges.
Director general of CAARS and Prof. Nnamdi Nwaodu, stressed that Africa must move from the margins to the centre of global climate finance discussions. He urged participants to develop frameworks rooted in fairness, asserting that “climate justice means ensuring that vulnerable communities do not continue to suffer the most while contributing the least to climate change.
In his words, “We are not here to rehearse the known statistics of environmental harm—we are here to act. It’s time to claim our seat at the table and design climate finance frameworks that reflect our continent’s realities.”
The statement said the conference featured rich academic and technical discussions, including presentations from renowned experts such as Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, former Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University who presented a paper on addressing climate adaptation, governance, and resilience in Africa.
