Osun State broke from the typically festive tone of Nigeria Cultural Day at COP30 on Monday, using the platform to issue a strong call for coordinated climate action across Nigeria’s states.
Professor Chinwe Obuaku-Igwe, Director-General and Special Envoy to the Osun State Governor on Climate Change and Renewable Energy, led the state’s delegation and delivered a message that quickly became one of the event’s standout moments.
Speaking to delegates, government officials, and cultural representatives, she urged the country’s subnational governments to move beyond symbolic participation at COP events and confront the realities of the climate crisis.
“Climate change is no longer a hoax, a distant rhetoric, or an academic argument — it is here with us now,” she said, warning that Nigeria will struggle to access major climate financing if states continue to operate independently and withhold information and resources from one another.
She called for an end to what she described as a “culture of gatekeeping,” pushing for greater transparency, shared knowledge, and more unified project development.
According to her, Nigeria’s ability to unlock significant climate funding depends on presenting scalable, bankable and collaborative initiatives rather than isolated pilot efforts.
Obuaku-Igwe highlighted Osun State as an emerging example of what determined political leadership and community-driven efforts can achieve.
She pointed to the state’s progress in renewable energy adoption, e-mobility, and youth-led climate initiatives as evidence of what can be done even with limited resources.
The delegation also announced that Osun will host a side event on 19 November to launch its new document series, “From Waste to Watts and Solar: The Osun State Climate Story — How We Built Climate Structure from Nothing.”
The publication outlines the state’s recent achievements in establishing climate governance structures, expanding clean energy, and building a sustainability ecosystem from the ground up.
Professor Obuaku-Igwe concluded her address by conveying greetings from Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke and commending Nigerians at COP30 for advancing the country’s climate priorities.
Osun State’s participation at this year’s summit centres on renewable energy transition, climate finance access, youth inclusion, waste-to-energy innovation and strengthening subnational climate governance.
