_By Abbas Nazil_
Nigeria’s former Minister of Environment, Barrister Mohammed H. Abdullahi has stressed the need for the government to address mass poverty and empower the citizens to adopt climate-friendly technologies.
The Minister, who spoke at a conference held in Abuja on Tuesday to mark the 2025 World Earth Day, said many Nigerians are too preoccupied with daily survival to consider the environmental impact of their livehoods.
Abdullahi, who was also a Minister for Science and Technology, said the general economic situation made it crucial for the government to prioritize the socio-economic upliftment of the people alongside climate action.
With a theme,“Our Power, Our Planet: From Policy to Action,” the event was organized by Climate Justice, Creative Culture and Communities for Peace (CCC4Peace), in partnership with Ecocykle, TrashMongers, and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, among others.
The former Minister noted that Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP), which underpins the country’s strategy to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 also outlines ambitious goals such as the 250GW renewable power capacity by 2050, 80% adoption of clean cooking, and widespread use of electric vehicles.
Abdullahi, who stressed that breaking the cycle of poverty is central to achieving Nigeria’s climate goals, recommended targeted interventions to make sustainable energy solutions accessible to ordinary citizens.
He advocated for investment in innovations such as solar home systems, fuel-efficient cookstoves, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biogas units, and electric or compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.
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He also urged the government to harmonize existing energy policies and tap into domestic financing to optimize energy infrastructure development.
“To truly transition, we must move from a mindset of short-term consumption to long-term restoration,” Abdullahi said, adding that “Renewable and sustainable energy is not a luxury. It is a necessity.”
The former minister who highlighted the environmental cost of fossil fuel-driven development in industrialized nations said the impacts include ocean warming, glacier melt, and extreme climate events, which disproportionately affect poorer nations like Nigeria.
He warned that without an inclusive approach to climate action on renewable energy, Nigeria risks exacerbating existing inequalities during the transition.
He advocated the inclusion of marginalized groups, including indigenous communities and displaced fossil fuel workers, in the transition process through training and dignified employment opportunities in the emerging green economy.
“A just energy transition must provide new opportunities for those left behind,” he reiterated.
The CCC4Peace Coordinator, Peniel Ibe, said the initiative is focused on empowering young Nigerians to engage with climate policy and localize justice-driven solutions.
Ibe stressed that climate action must be rooted in community realities and go beyond technical fixes to addressing social and political issues.
The one day conference, which attracted critical stakeholders, featured discussions on youth involvement in climate solutions, policy implementation, and environmental justice, and concluded with the screening of a documentary series and an open forum.
