By Abdullahi Lukman
President Bola Tinubu has called on world leaders to demonstrate unity, courage, and sustained commitment in confronting the escalating global climate emergency.
He made the remarks during a high-level virtual climate dialogue co-hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Speaking from Abuja, President Tinubu emphasized that climate action must be seen not as a barrier to growth, but as a strategic necessity for development.
“The global climate emergency demands our collective, courageous, and sustained leadership,” he said. “For Nigeria, climate action is a strategic imperative, not a cost to development.”
The meeting, convened in advance of COP30, brought together leaders from 17 countries and key regional blocs, including China, the EU, the African Union, ASEAN, and the Alliance of Small Island States. The collective message was clear: climate action is accelerating globally.
Tinubu used the platform to highlight Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP), a comprehensive framework to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
The plan targets five key sectors—power, cooking, transportation, oil and gas, and industry—and requires over $410 billion in financing.
The president noted that regulatory reforms, fiscal incentives, and institutional changes are underway to align economic competitiveness with decarbonisation and energy access.
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Nigeria, he said, is also playing a leading role in the Mission 300 initiative, in partnership with the World Bank and African Development Bank, which aims to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Tinubu further recalled Nigeria’s National Energy Compact, which sets measurable goals for expanding clean energy and clean cooking solutions.
“Capacity building and policy reform are central to meeting these targets,” he said, noting that Nigeria’s compact is one of the first of its kind in Africa.
As part of broader reforms, Tinubu announced that Nigeria’s Carbon Market Activation Policy, finalized in March 2025, is expected to unlock up to $2.5 billion in carbon credit investments by 2030, positioning Nigeria as a key player in global carbon markets.
He also revealed that Nigeria is updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UN climate framework, with a revised version expected by September 2025.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s climate strategy extends beyond regulation to include market-driven reforms aimed at attracting climate-smart investment.
The president said Nigeria’s is developing a Global Climate Change Investment Fund to mobilize blended finance for green industrial hubs, renewable mini-grids, e-mobility, and regenerative agriculture in underserved communities.
He thanked international partners, including the UN and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), for their support, emphasizing that global collaboration is essential.
“The time for climate action is not tomorrow—it is now,” he charged.
