By Yemi Olakitan
Osun State has been chosen by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to serve as a test site for a carbon investment project that would be located on a few chosen forest reserves and national parks in Nigeria.
The NCCC, which chose Ago Owu woodland in Ayedaade local government, stated in a letter to the State Ministry of Environment that the project’s goal is to assist in carrying out the National Climate Change Action Plan and the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
This was made clear in a statement signed by Olubunmi Badiora, the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation’s Information Officer.
According to the statement, the National Council on Climate Change, the Presidency, and Dryada/Noblesse Green Energy are working together on the project.
One company that invests in energy and land-based sources for carbon offsets is aDryada/Noblesse Green Energy (NGE). In order to help the state create and implement low-carbon and climate-resilient plans in important industries including forestry, agriculture, and energy, the project will offer financial and technical support.
“The growing realization of the need to address climate change and lower greenhouse gas emissions is what motivates the Carbon Investment project. Stakeholders can support global efforts to address climate change and promote a more sustainable future by funding carbon-related projects like this one. You will have the chance to demonstrate your inventiveness and leadership in tackling climate change and advancing sustainable development as a pilot state. The National Council stated in the letter that “you will also benefit from the exchange of best practices and lessons learned with other pilot states and stakeholders.”
The Osun State Governor is described as a personable and amiable leader who is dedicated to taking all necessary steps to ensure the project’s success and the State’s advantageous position on climate change issues both nationally and internationally by the NCCC team, led by Mr. Kingsley Nwajuba.
The Osun State Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin, led the Osun State team in the interactive meeting.
The Commissioner also expressed gratitude to Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Climate Change and Renewable Energy, for helping to make the initiative possible in Osun State.
The state government, led by Senator Ademola Adeleke, is firmly committed to implementing action plans on climate change, according to Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the chairman of the Osun Governor’s Advisory Council on Renewable Energy and Climate Change.
He also mentioned that the state government has approved the raising of tree seedlings for planting trees to revitalize our forest reserves.
In addition, he pledged to support the carbon investment initiative with sufficient political will to see it through to successful completion.
The NCCC team lead had earlier said that the Federal Government’s nomination of Osun State came about following careful deliberation and final approval from the “Dryada/Noblesse Green Energy (NGE) Company”‘s Paris headquarters, which worked with the NCCC and the Presidency on the project.
Rejuvenating the Ago-Owu Forest Reserve and providing livelihood support to the surrounding community are two of the project’s efforts. This will eventually lead to opportunities for the State to engage in “Carbon Trading” while also improving the socioeconomic standing of local residents.
The interactive meeting, according to Mr. Nwajuba, is a part of the preparation for Nigeria’s attendance at this year’s “International Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP28),” which is scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates by the end of this year, 2023. It will also be followed by a physical visit to the project site.
During the closing remarks, it was underlined that Osun State needed all hands on deck in order to pursue the Climate Change mainstreaming Agenda for the State, which calls for every ministry to have a climate desk.
The Director General of the National Council on Climate Change’s representative, Mr. Kingsley Nwawuba, added that concerns about the safe relocation of farmers within the Forest Reserve must be handled with care and harmony in order to ensure a situation that benefits all parties involved.
Mr. Richard Oyegbami, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, expressed gratitude to the Abuja team and the Osun State team.
He promised the NCCC team that they would have a friendly working relationship with the Osun State team to ensure the project’s successful completion as well as other initiatives aimed at promoting renewable energy and combating climate change.
