A former federal lawmaker, Chief Sam Onuigbo, has commended President Bola Tinubu for recognising the opportunities that abound in implementing the Climate Change Act.
Experts say mitigating the impact of climate change and protecting the environment will make the earth safer for humans, animals and plants.
Onuigbo, who sponsored Nigeria’s Climate Change Act in the National Assembly, is also the Chairman, Committee on Security and Climate Change, North East Development Commission.
He gave that commendation on Friday, May 24, 2024, at the launch of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Implementation Framework in Abuja.
He said through his actions and official pronouncement, Tinubu had demonstrated that he appreciates what the country stood to gain from mitigating the impact of climate change.
Tinubu has supported the movement of electricity generation from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.
He has also thrown his weight behind to conversion of vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The president has also ordered Ministries, Departments and Agencies to patronise CNG in their procurement of vehicles.
He also said the launch of the NDC was a strategic milestone and a sure path towards attaining Nigeria’s 2050-2070 net-zero target as provided in the act.
The former lawmaker also commended other stakeholders working assiduously to tackle climate change in the country.
“I am happy because what we started on a small scale when there was little or no awareness, is truly moving in the right direction in a gradual but steady manner.
“I would like to congratulate the Director-General and the leadership of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), the Federal Ministry of Environment, NDC Partnership, and other facilitators – local and international.”
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, launched the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) at COP28 in Dubai, UAE.
The LT-LEDS is a strategic milestone that translated the net-zero presidential pledge made at COP26 into a vision for the transformation of Nigeria’s economy and society by 2060.
Onuigbo said the event on the global stage was followed by several other activities in Nigeria, including the high-level presentation and socialisation of the LT-LEDS on May 8, 2024.
He also expressed satisfaction that Nigeria now has a clear pathway towards attaining Section 1 of the Act he sponsored, which aims “…achieving low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, inclusive green growth and sustainable economic development”.
He further noted that Nigeria ranks among the top countries where climate change badly impacts children; a reason why women, youths, and children were prioritised in the act.
He cited Section 26 of the act, which provides “for the integration of climate change into the various disciplines and subjects across all educational levels”.
Speaking at the event, Director of Country Engagement, NDC Partnership, Ms. Mariana Panuncio-Feldman, said the launch of the NDC reflected an effort on the part of Nigeria to tackle climate change through an integrated whole-of-economy, whole-of-society approach.
She also said the NDC Implementation Framework adopted a dynamic results-based approach to Nigeria’s coordination of climate action.
The NDC Implementation Framework translates Nigeria’s 2030 climate commitment into an actionable plan, encompassing the mitigation and adaptation actions to be taken by seven major sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The sectors include agriculture, forestry and land use, water, energy, transport, waste and industry, as well as critical cross-cutting enabling actions.
Such actions include the development of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, the integration of gender considerations and the institutionalisation of more effective collaboration mechanisms.
By Kayode Adebiyi
