Nigeria: Analysis – What Nigeria Can Do to Benefit Optimally From COP27

During the COP26 held in Glasgow (Scotland), last year, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a 2060 net-zero emissions target.

As Africa gets set to host the 27th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November (6-18) this year, it offers another golden opportunity for Africa’s most populous country–Nigeria, to intensify its “mitigation and adaptation” proactive measures towards achieving its Net-zero emission targets by 2060.

During the COP26 held in Glasgow (Scotland), last year, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a 2060 net-zero emissions target.

“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,” Mr Buhari said while delivering his speech at the conference.

In November later that year, he signed into law the Climate Change Act, which commits the Federal Government to measurable action plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This subsequently led to the appointment of Salisu Dahiru as the pioneer Director-General (DG) and Chief Executive officer (CEO) of the national council on climate change eight months after.

Likewise, on 24 August, Nigeria launched the Energy Transition Plan (ETP), a multipronged strategy developed for the achievement of net-zero emissions from the nation’s energy consumption.

Conference of Parties

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts.

At the meeting, the Parties take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.

According to the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a key task for the COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties.

Based on this information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.

The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. Its first meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995.

What Nigeria needs to do at COP 27

As world leaders are preparing to assemble at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Convention Centre (SHICC), Egypt, for COP27 this year, sustainable environmental practices advocates in Nigeria say this will make a good avenue for Nigeria and other African countries to cut a better deal amidst a profound surge in the negative impacts of Climate Change in the continent.

Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) Executive Director, David Michael, said Nigeria should take a leading role at COP 27 in ensuring that Africa speaks with one voice.

He said as the continent’s biggest economy, Nigeria should join hands with other African countries to make clear demands on the need for “Climate Finance and Loss and Damage.”

“Few days ago Nigeria launched the Energy Transition Plan and this plan will be enabled by finance. Without climate finance, Nigeria and other developing countries cannot achieve their zero emissions targets,” he said.

Jubril Adeojo, Managing Director, Smefunds Capital Limited, which facilitates investment in climate impact projects, said one thing Nigeria should take seriously in the forthcoming COP27 is “partnership and funding”.

He said Nigeria is on board to achieve its Net-Zero emission target by 2060 but there is a need to deploy capital on a massive scale for this to be achieved.

“No doubt the Nigerian economy has been largely affected by the fluctuating oil price. However, to achieve what we have pledged to do, partnerships and funding will make a difference in driving Nigeria towards a Net Zero Emission target,” Mr Adeojo said.

He noted that adaptation funding is crucial in various sectors such agriculture and energy and that Nigeria needs to invest more in smart agriculture, renewable energy, hydro and bio-gas.

“In my view, Egypt COP27 presents an opportunity for Nigeria to secure more partnerships and have more inflow of capital targeted towards adaptation as well as mitigation. If this is actualised Nigeria would be on the fast lane to achieving its set target,” he added.

Existing scourge

Analysis by SBMIntel, an Africa focused research firm, revealed that about 79 per cent of Nigerian farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, cassava and maize were estimated to have been affected by the ravaging effects of extreme climatic events (drought and flooding) in 2020.

The research, which was conducted in seven states of the country, showed that the harvests of 26.3 per cent of Nigerian farmers were greatly affected by extreme weather conditions.

Of the seven states surveyed, the report noted that the majority of the respondents (73.7% of farmers) had their farms in the South-west States, 10.5 per cent had their farms in Benue and the remaining 15.9 per cent were distributed between Nasarawa, Osun and Katsina states respectively.

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