NIGERIA’S GOAL TO TAP FROM GLOBAL CLIMATE FINANCE AT THE 30TH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES,COP30, TO THE UNITED NATION’S FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANE, IN BELEM, BRAZIL.
By Aliyu Umar Aliyu
Year in, year out, the climate change discussion has continued to gain momentum, globally, regionally, national as well as at the sub national levels. Climate change with its multi-dimensional effects on the environment and livelihood, inflicts growing human and economic costs in every country, especially developing ones.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, known as COP, is a vital global gathering that identifies climate change issues, attracts innovative policies and technological solutions, accelerates implementation, tracks them, as well as ensures sustainable financing.
Climate change affects every country, but not equally, and not every country has the same recourses to deal with it. That is why, one of the conference’s processes includes the principles that all countries act. However, developed countries with greater capacities are expected to do more.
Climate finance is key to sustainable change. As such, at the 2024 COP29th session in Baku, Azerbaijan, all actors agreed to work together to enable the scaling up of financing to developing countries parties for climate action from all public and private sources, to at least one point three trillion USD, per year by 2035, tagged the “ Baku to Belem Roadmap to 1.3 Trillion”. Countries including the EU agreed two triple supports to developing countries from 100 billion U.S. dollars to 300 billion U.S. dollars per year.
Consequently, this year’s COP 30th session, taking place in Belem Brazil From the 10th to the 21st November, with nearly 200 countries including Nigeria in attendance, countries will be presenting their next round of National Determined Contributions, NDC, which is a national climate plan, due every five years. In Belem, the parties will assess the gap between the present plans and what is needed to meet the Paris goals as well as what it will take to close this gap especially with regards to finance.
Regionally, Nigeria has positioned itself as West Africa’s climate action leader following its submission of the regions first third national determined contribution, NDC 3.0, to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Consequently, Vice President, Kashim Shettima, during his presentation at COP 30 will unveil Nigerians Green Transition Road map to world leader, positioning the country to turn its climate commitments into concrete investments opportunities, partnerships and projects. This will further boosts investors confidence in doing business with Nigeria.
The government’s approval of the National Carbon Market Framework and move for the operationalization of its National Climate Change Fund, signals a clear policy direction that Nigeria is open for high-Integrity carbon investments which deliver real mitigation and community benefits.
Recently, the ministry of Petroleum Resources inaugurated a technical and steering committee to create and manage the Nigeria Green Climate Fund and sovereign carbon credits. The committee is expected to design a financial , institutional, and regulatory framework that would enable Nigeria to access global climate capital, monetize emission reductions and reposition the ministry as it transition energy and climate smart institution, as provided for in the Petroleum Industrial Act, 2021. The committee will further, identify eligible projects such as gas flare capture and renewable and propose sustainable financial and transparent revenue models.
These national moves will no doubt open a pathway for states at the sub national level to key into the sale of their Climate change local policies and frameworks that would attract investments for real time implementation, economic as well as human development.
Niger state is already on this pathway to sustainable climate change solutions. Over the last two years, the state has pursued one of the most ambitious subnational green economy transformations in Nigeria’s history. By linking local realities with global climate ambitions, Niger State is steadily positioning itself as the country’s hub for climate-smart agriculture, clean energy and green industrial development.
Desertification, flooding and deforestation have long undermined livelihoods across the state. To confront these threats, Niger State launched its “Green Economy Blueprint”, an integrated strategy designed to build resilience while creating green jobs and sustainable prosperity. This gave way for the state’s engagements with global actors on climate change.
At COP28 in Dubai, the state presented its blueprint before international partners, and by COP29 in Baku, it had become a recognizable name in sub national climate leadership. These appearances were not symbolic. They yielded partnerships that have since defined the core of Niger State’s transition agenda.
One of the most transformative was the Memorandum of Understanding with Blue Carbon, a UAE-based company committed to developing sustainable climate solutions. The agreement to plant one billion economic trees across one million hectares in Niger State stands as one of the largest private–public reforestation programmes on the African continent.
Beyond ecological restoration, the initiative promises rural employment, carbon credit generation and long-term economic dividends from timber, fruit and non-timber forest products. Equally significant was the partnership with Future Camp Germany, a globally renowned firm in carbon markets. This collaboration aims to unlock over N1 trillion in climate investments and build the technical framework for Niger State’s carbon market activation.
For a sub national entity, this is pioneering work — one that could see the state emerge as the first Nigerian state to fully participate in voluntary carbon trading, attracting new revenue streams while promoting transparency in climate finance. The Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the NNPC Limited extends Niger’s climate action to the energy frontier.
It covers a suite of renewable and low-carbon projects, including a Greenfield hydroelectric power plant, mega solar parks for institutions and home solar systems targeting 250,000 households. The agreement also envisions an ethanol plant capable of producing 500 million litres annually, powered by crops cultivated across 100,000 hectares — a project that will create value chains, empower farmers and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
These is inline with the requirements of the Nigeria Green Climate Fund and Sovereign Carbon Credits of which Niger has state proven to have the initiatives to be a beneficiary.
These developments are not isolated. They are coordinated through the Niger State Agency for Green Initiatives (NG-SAGI) — an institution established to harmonize the state’s environmental, agricultural and energy programmes into one coherent climate resilience framework. Under this framework, Niger state hosted Nigeria’s first-ever sub national Green Economy Summit in 2023, attracting investors and development partners from across the globe.
The summit’s outcomes validated the ideology that local action can be globally relevant if guided by clear vision and credible governance. The pledges and partnerships secured there continue to serve as foundations for current projects — from afforestation to renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
As Nigeria heads to COP30 in Brazil, Niger State’s delegation is expected to present these achievements not as isolated efforts, but as part of a coherent sub national climate narrative. It will highlight how a state, once challenged by deforestation and poverty, is now leading a structured march toward carbon neutrality and green prosperity.
Evidently, Niger state climate change initiatives and actions should encourage other state government to explore localised climate change challenges and develop them into sustainable policies and actions to attract local and international investments for sustainable solutions and economic benefits.
Aliyu Umar is the Head Strategic Communication Bureau of Public Service Reforms and can be reached via.
aliyu.umar@fmicno.gov.ng
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