Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, says he is exploring new collaborations to accelerate the country’s drive for blue hydrogen investment and development.
He said in a statement issued on Thursday, July 18, 2024, that he held insightful discussion with Mr Joseph McMonigle, Secretary-General of International Energy Forum (IEF), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He said he also met with Mr Tony Okpanachi, the MD/CEO of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) and his team and congratulated them on becoming the first Nigerian financial institution to be accredited by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
He said this opened a new vista of climate financing for important projects nationwide.
“Furthermore, we discussed how to partner in advancing the priority areas of President Bola Tinubu’s administration within our green industrial growth acceleration programme,” said the envoy.
Ngelale said he also held a 90-minute discussion with lead climate negotiators representing 119 other countries in a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) virtual meeting on the just transition.
“I also hosted the Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Mr Xavier Muron and his team, alongside the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) leadership.
“We deliberated on the various pathways to economically benefit decarbonisation in the context of maximising our natural resources to fund the energy transition.
“There are many exciting economic opportunities that will result from this deepening partnership,” he said.
Similarly, Ngelale on Thursday engaged virtually with a team from the Canada-based Alberta Carbon Market Collaboration.
He said he exchanged views with the NCCC leadership on Nigeria’s value chain localisation agenda and the evolution of a carbon market ecosystem that favors the Nigerian economy and citizenry above all else.
“Following this on Thursday evening, I held a high-level virtual discussion with leaders from the NDC Partnerships Group.
“We followed up on Nigeria’s update to the NDC framework, and deliberated fruitfully on converting the aspirational NDC framework into a business-tailored, project-driven plan that details in specificity the bankability of critical projects across the nation,” said Ngelale.
By Salif Atojoko
