Nigeria will soon have the largest electric mass transit fleet in Africa, the Federal Government has said.
Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the urgent need for concerted global action to address the challenges of climate change during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tuggar said Nigeria aims to have the largest electric mass transit fleet in Africa and increase electric buses from 100 to 1,000, adding that the country is leading the fight against climate change in Africa by setting ambitious and realistic goals.
“Nigeria has ratified its commitments through a Climate Change Act and a National Council on Climate Change (NCCC),” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir.
“Through these, Nigeria set ambitious, albeit realistic, goals, and I am proud to state that we have hit the ground running, transforming our commitments into tangible climate action.”
“The initiative will reduce emissions and indicate my administration’s commitment to catalysing the market for green project deployments, job creation, and industrialisation across critical sectors.”
The minister also stressed the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility in combating the escalating climate crisis.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to its nationally determined contributions, Tuggar underscored the nation’s dedication to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
He also called upon the international community to transcend political differences and work collaboratively towards meaningful and immediate climate solutions, saying there was a need for financial commitments from developed nations to assist developing countries in their transition to low-carbon economies.
According to the minister, it was important to uphold the principles outlined in the Paris Agreement, and the need for all nations to commit to ambitious and transparent climate targets.