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* Nigeria to access $3bn annually as Tinubu sets agenda for country’s participation
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Ahead of the 30th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil, President Bola Tinubu has approved the adoption of a National Carbon Market Framework and the operationalization of the Climate Change Fund.
The goal is to establish and manage Nigeria’s participation in carbon markets, enabling the nation to unlock between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually in carbon finance over the next decade to help meet climate goals.
The approvals followed a presentation by the Director General of National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Mrs Omotenioye Majekodunmi, at the second meeting of the Council held at the State House, Abuja.
President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, said the approvals were part of measures by his administration to properly position Nigeria to leverage opportunities in the global carbon market and be more active in climate change ecosystem.
The president also set the agenda for Nigeria ahead of the forthcoming 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) scheduled for Belem, Brazil, saying the focus is to harness all of the opportunities for financing climate resilient projects and related interventions, particularly from the global carbon market.
President Tinubu said his administration recognizes the fact that addressing climate change is not just an environment imperative but an opportunity to unlock new investments, jobs and innovations across the nation’s energy, agriculture and industrial sectors.
According to him, “Nigeria stands ready to take its rightful place as a global leader in climate action, ensuring that our voice and our reality are heard and respected in international negotiations.
“We have demonstrated this commitment through our active participation in the UNFCCC process, our progress towards implementing our nationally determined contributions and our efforts to mobilize climate finance for adaption and mitigation across all levels of government.”
The president stated that as chairman of the council, climate action will continue to be prioritized in his administration’s development agenda.
“We will continue to champion policies that protect our people, strengthen our economy and position Nigeria as a destination for green investment and innovation,” he said.
Earlier, the Director-General of the NCCC and Secretary to the Council, Mrs. Omotenioye Majekodunmi, informed the council chaired by Vice-President Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, that the meeting was timely ahead of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) scheduled to hold in Brazil.
She said the deliberations and decisions of the council would shape how Nigeria is perceived globally and determine how effectively the country can mobilize support to achieve its climate goals.
The council secretariat expressed its commitment to providing the technical leadership and coordination needed to translate Nigeria’s climate goals into measurable results.
Presenting the council’s progress report, Majekodunmi disclosed that Nigeria is now eligible to access new rounds of climate finance from multilateral funds.
Highlighting the secretariat’s key requests, she said the council sought the adoption of the National Carbon Market Framework to enable Nigeria unlock between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually in carbon finance over the next decade.
The council also requested the operationalization of the Climate Change Fund to ensure immediate readiness for fund mobilization and utilization.
On his part, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, backed the council secretariat’s recommendations, noting that Nigeria must secure a strong position within the carbon framework.
He assured the council of the Finance Ministry’s support, including coordination with the ministry’s economic department to host a quarterly Climate Finance Tracking Dashboard.
