President Muhammad Buhari has said Nigeria will cut its carbon emission to net-zero by 2060. He spoke at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26 in Glasgow, UK.
Mr Buhari said the conference is happening at a time the world is suffering from the devastating effects of climate change.
Mr Buhari said he did not think any Nigerian needs to be convinced that climate change is not about the problem of the future but about what is already facing the country.
“Desertification in the north, drought in the centre, pollution in the coast are enough evidence for all to see, Nigeria is committed to net zero by 2060,” he said.
“In our lifetime, Lake Chad has gone from an adverse expanse of biodiversity to a shadow of itself; we are investing in renewed growth, hydro dams, and solar projects – Nigeria is not looking to make the same mistake that will be suffered in the future.”
The Nigerian leader said the government is looking for partners, technology, and finance to make cleaner and efficient use of all available resources for a more stable transition in energy markets.
He informed the audience that Nigeria’s revised nationally determined contribution has additional priority sectors, water and waste, nature-based solution, adaptation and resilience, vulnerability assessment and a clean, cooking, gender and green job assessment, bottom-up renewable energy transition pathway to 2030.
Speaking further, Mr Buhari said even though parties to the Paris agreement are expected to transition from fossil fuel to clean energy and reach a net zero ambition for greenhouse gas emission, Nigeria is actually more of a gas than oil producing country and requires financing of projects using transition fuel such as gas.
“Nigeria has developed a detailed energy transition plan and roadmap based on data and evidence, our transition plan also highlights the key role that gas will play in transitioning our economy across sectors and the data and evidence shows Nigeria can continue to use gas until 2040 without detracting from the goals of the Paris agreement,” he said.
Mr Buhari told the audience that Nigeria has approved a national action plan on gender and climate change.
“This document incorporates priority areas of our economic recovery and growth plan and nationally determined contribution, the implementation strategy for this national action plan is being developed,” he said.
In a bid to commit to transitional change through climate policy, the revised national policy on climate change was approved in June 2021. This will enable us to implement mitigation measures and also strengthen adaptation towards a sustainable and resilient development. pathway in Nigeria.
Mr Buhari further called the attention of the COP26 president to the centrality of financial support to developing countries in order to attain national and global climate change goals as it will require technical and financial support to developing countries.
Speaking further, the president said the country plans to electrify 5 million households and 25 million people using decentralised solar energy solutions.
“In Nigeria, in the area of energy access, Nigeria’s commitment t to adjust transition is reflected in our initial energy compact which include the government’s flagship project to electrify 5 million households and 25 million people using decentralised solar energy solution, this is major step towards closing our energy access deficit by 2030,” he said.
He said the outcome of COP26 must result in a quick resolution of all outstanding issues pertaining to the finalisation of the Paris agreement rule book, adaptation, mitigation, finance, article 6 and loss and damages.
