President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr. Salisu Mohammed Dahiru as Pioneer Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change. The appointment takes effect from Monday, July 25, 2022.
As part of his Climate Change Agenda, Mr. President made a commitment for Nigeria to achieve a net zero emission by 2060, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
In this regard, President Buhari expects the new Director General to drive implementation of Nigeria’s Climate Change Agenda and the National Climate Change Action Plan, including the development of a carbon market framework and a National Adaptation Plan, which will be in sync with the aspirations enshrined in the nation’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The new Director General holds B.Sc. Botany, M.Sc. Cytogenetics & Plant Breeding and PhD in Environmental Resources Management. He has about 37 years of cognate experience in environmental management, sustainable development, and the academia, of which over 14 years were in climate change policy, programmes and projects at national and international levels. He pioneered and led Nigeria’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Programme.
He has been Nigeria’s lead negotiator for the Agriculture, Forest and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Salisu was the National Project Coordinator for the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) Project, both financed by the World Bank. He also served as the Federal Director of Forestry for eight years. He is a Fellow of the Forestry Association of Nigeria (FAN).
Dr. Salisu is described as an astute administrator, resource-manager, expert in climate change, complex project planning and management, resource mobilisation and linkage with donor funding.
It is believed that his vast experience in working with the World Bank and other Development Partners will positively enhance his effectiveness and efficiency in the smooth implementation of the National Climate Change Agenda.
