President Bola Tinubu has established a committee to oversee Green Economic Initiative, being a strategic move to ensure advancement of his administration to tackle challenges of climate change in Nigeria.
Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made this known in a statement on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Abuja.
The committee, chaired by Tinubu, has Balarabe Lawal (Minister of Environment) as Vice-Chairman, Ajuri-Obari Ngelale (Special Adviser) as Secretary/Special Presidential Envoy, and Lazarus Angbazo (CEO, InfraCorp), Salisu Dahiru (DG/CEO, NCCC), Michael Ohiani (CEO, ICRC), and Aisha Rimi (CEO, NIPC) as members.
Others are Aminu Umar-Sadiq (CEO, NSIA), Yusuf Maina-Bukar (CEO, NAGGW), Abdullahi Mustapha (CEO, ECN), Abba Abubakar Aliyu (CEO, REA), Uzoma Nwagba (CEO, CrediCorp), Khalil Halilu (CEO, NASENI), Fatima Shinkafi (CEO, SMDF), Bala Bello (Deputy Governor, CBN), Lolade Abiola (UN SE4ALL), Teni Majekodunmi (NCCC Adviser), Representative of Federal Ministry of FCT, and Representative of Federal Ministry of Finance.
Included in the team are Representative of Federal Ministry of Power, Representative of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Representative of Federal Ministry of Water Resources, and Representative of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The rest of the members are Representative of Federal Inland Revenue Service, and Representative of Nigeria Customs Service.
According to Imohiosen, the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, established by the President, will coordinate and oversee all policies and programmes on climate action and green economic development.
“This is to remove the constraints to coordination, foster a whole-of-government approach to climate-action programmes, provide an efficient governance architecture.
“And ensure that all relevant institutions in the sector are plugged into the president’s vision and are collectively implementing the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ on climate action,” he said.
Imohiosen stated further that the Presidential committee shall, among other functions, identify, develop, and implement innovative non-oil and non-gas climate action initiatives.
He listed other functions to include:
- Coordinating all activities of relevant federal institutions toward the attainment of all agreed climate action and green economic objectives and non-oil/non-gas ambitions of the federal government.
- Collaborating with all relevant government, sub-national governments, non-government, and civil society entities toward attainment of the climate action objectives and ambitions of the Federal Government.
- Collaborating with national governments and multilateral institutions toward the attainment of the climate action objectives and carbon market ambitions of the Federal Government.
- Monitor, evaluate, and guide the progress of all climate action and renewable energy projects and activities of the Federal Government.
- Track and guide the implementation of initiatives and developments conducted by the Energy Transition Working Group and supervise the work of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
- Prepare a half-yearly green ambitions update, covering all associated climate action achievements of the Federal Government.
Imohiosen stated that Tinubu had also appointed Chief Ajuri Ngelale as the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action.
“Ngelale will retain his role as the Official Spokesperson of the President and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, while serving on the committee.”
He said that Tinubu remained committed to achieving Nigeria’s green economy objectives on the path of a just energy transition while unlocking new investments in this critical sector that is central to the nation’s economic future.
By Okon Okon
