By Abbas Nazil
NatureNews has undertaken a review of the milestones attained by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to guide the Council’s new DG, Mrs Omotenioye Majekodunmi, in scaling up her action plans.
NatureNews notes that Mrs Majekodunmi was appointed on July 31, 2025, to replace Dr. Nkiruka Madueke, who had spent barely one year in office, having succeeded the pioneer DG, Dr. Salisu Dahiru, who served from 2021 to 2024.
The policy tours, carried out in key climate action zones across Nigeria, highlighted the thresholds recorded by the Council since it was established by the Climate Change Act 2021 signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
NatureNews investigation reveals how the Council has evolved in four years into a central player in shaping the nation’s climate policy on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), carbon market architecture, and institutional coordination on environmental issues.
During the tour, it was observed that Dr Dahiru laid the Council’s foundational including its operational framework, organogram, and its positioning as the Designated National Authority (DNA) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
He spearheaded the harmonization of Nigeria’s climate response for COP27 and set in motion the development of a national carbon trading infrastructure, including the Open Market Carbon Trading Framework (Phase I).
He also led stakeholders’ engagement across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and initiated partnerships with institutions such as the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and InfraCorp.
A strong advocate for carbon pricing as a national priority, Dr Dahiru did not mince words when he told a validation workshop in Abuja that Nigeria’s entry into the global emissions trading scheme must be properly structured and linked to the NCCC.
He had also warned against unregulated carbon trading activities across the country and stressed the need for a coordinated emissions reduction certification process.
The Council, under his tenure, also championed climate adaptation and resilience strategies in response to environmental disasters, such as the 2022 floods that ravaged many states in Nigeria.
Notwithstanding the general perception that climate action awareness among the citizens was low, the Council’s strong stance on climate action attracted commendation from global development partners and set Nigeria on the path to green industrial transformation.
Dr. Madueke, who succeeded Dahiru in 2024, also pursued the Council’s mandate in developing Nigeria’s carbon market policies and implementing the Energy Transition Plan (ETP), which was transferred to NCCC by presidential directive.
Among others, Dr. Madueke, as DG, was co-chair of the Intergovernmental Committee for the National Carbon Market Activation Plan and advanced Nigeria’s participation in Article 6 markets under the Paris Agreement.
She facilitated the Council’s engagements with subnational governments and private sector actors, deepening awareness of climate finance and carbon credit generation opportunities.
Her leadership also saw the expansion of the Council’s institutional footprint, including work on a climate investment roadmap and the strengthening of Nigeria’s climate diplomacy within Africa.
The new DG, Mrs Omotenioye Majekodunmi, brings on board over 17 years of experience in climate finance, renewable energy, and environmental governance.
She previously served as the Council’s Financial Adviser, and she is the founder of EcoXchange, a firm known for clean development and waste-to-energy projects in collaboration with Lagos State.
Her appointment is seen as part of the Tinubu administration’s renewed emphasis on climate finance as a tool for national development and economic transformation.
According to the presidency, Mrs Majekodunmi is expected to steer the Council’s day-to-day activities and work closely with all climate stakeholders to scale up Nigeria’s participation in carbon markets and global green initiatives.
As Nigeria prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, stakeholders remain optimistic that the momentum built since the Council’s inception will be sustained under the new leadership.
NatureNews Africa’s tour concluded with recommendations for stronger inter-agency coordination, improved transparency in climate representation, and the full integration of indigenous knowledge in shaping the country’s climate resilience strategies.
The Council’s trajectory, from the pioneering foundation laid by Dr. Salisu Dahiru, through the policy push of Dr. Madueke and now into a new phase under Mrs Majekodunmi, indicate that the momentum of climate action would be increased with vigour.
It remains to be seen if Nigeria will effectively harness the opportunities in carbon trading and meet its 2060 net-zero emissions target.
