By Abdullahi Lukman
Nigeria will intensify efforts to advance a green economy and curb climate change, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) Director-General, Tenioye Majekodunmi, said on Monday at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil.
Majekodunmi said the country remains committed to environmental sustainability through renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and improved waste management.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s target of reducing emissions by 32 per cent by 2035, noting that the government has submitted its Third Nationally Determined Contribution, approved a National Carbon Market Framework, and operationalised the Climate Change Fund.
She said these steps indicate Nigeria’s readiness for large-scale clean energy investment, though gaps remain between potential and delivery.
Majekodunmi added that the federal government would support private-sector deployment of scalable off-grid solutions to diversify energy sources and close persistent electricity gaps in remote communities.
This, she said, aligns with the recently validated Nigeria Just Transition Guideline and action plan.
The NCCC also reaffirmed support for developing the wind energy sector as part of Nigeria’s long-term energy mix. Majekodunmi urged that wind resources be transformed into tangible power capable of driving sustainable national development.
Magnus Onuoha, Executive Director of the West Africa Green Economic Development Institute, said wind energy could significantly boost Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He noted that reforms such as the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, Nigeria’s Paris Agreement commitments, the Renewable Energy Master Plan, and the Climate Change Act of 2021 have strengthened the policy framework for renewable energy expansion.
Onuoha said these initiatives—along with Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (2022) and the Nigerian Electricity Act (2023)—have accelerated the adoption of wind power, particularly for off-grid electrification in northern and coastal regions.
He said Nigeria’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 makes scaling renewable technologies essential, with wind energy positioned to help close the country’s energy deficit and meet global climate obligations.
