Message from the Director General

DG’s Message

Climate change remains, by far, the most profound challenge facing humanity at the moment. Even as an emerging Nation in the Global South, Nigeria is gravely impacted by the negative externalities of climate change. For instance, livelihoods have been destroyed, with millions displaced as a result of the devastating floods across the country a few months ago. We see the changes happening around us, affecting farmlands, houses, water, food crops, trees, animals, and human health. In the past couple of years, the Nigerian climate has experienced obvious irregularities; alternating between periods of extremely dry or rainy seasons – increase in temperature, rise in sea levels and flooding, drought and desertifcation, land degradation, affected freshwater resources and loss of biodiversity. Global security has also not been insulated, as the struggle for water has led to clashes between farmers and pastoralists in Nigeria.

Since the coming together of world leaders to deliberate on ways to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere and mitigate the multi-dimensional and inter-related effects of climate change in the world, the global discourse on climate change has evolved around limiting temperature rise above pre-industrial levels and achieving net zero carbon emissions in the coming years. At COP26 in Glasgow, Nigeria committed to achieving net zero by 2060. A few days after that momentous occasion, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Climate Change Act on the 18th of November, 2021 – demonstrating the commitment of Nigeria to the fight against climate change.

The Climate Change Act provides an all-inclusive, regulatory legal framework for achieving Nigeria’s long-term climate goals that include net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, adequate climate financing, environmental and economic accountability. The efforts to implement the plans enshrined in the Climate Change Act 2021 and Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution, including development of a carbon market framework, are fully on. We are making efforts to ensure that Nigeria, as a leader in this fght against climate change in Africa, continues charging forward on the path to achieving green growth and sustainable economic development.

As a continent most affected by the debilitating effects of climate change, we must act with urgency because necessary action that will ensure net zero emissions is everybody’s responsibility: not just for the government. We cannot choose the path of least resistance by doing nothing; for that is the path of the greatest destruction. To achieve this objective, the Nigerian government will be interacting and working with the general public, individuals, communities, businesses & industries, development partners and the global community.

the Federal Government of Nigeria demonstrated its unwavering support to the fight against climate change by inaugurating the National Council on Climate Change established by the Climate Change Act, 2021. The Council is vested with the powers to make policies and decisions on all matters concerning climate change in Nigeria. These include Energy Transition Plan, Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Trading Framework, in line with its mandate under the Act. The composition of the council is a reflection of the magnitude of the problem and the seriousness of our response.

Since human activities are at the root of the climate challenge, it simply means that the same human actions can help to stop it. We must continue to play our part to save our planet from the dangers of climate change. We will continue to work with our international partners to mobilise the billions of dollars needed for mitigation and adaptation as well as achieving our Net Zero target by 2060.

COP 27 offers the world the opportunity to re-commit to the Net Zero Target and come up with more innovative tools and solutions to tackle the climate challenge. It also offers us an opportunity to showcase the direction the Council is headed in the work in Nigeria.

As a Nation, we are on the right path. The consequences of failing to act is unimaginable, so we will continue to take the bold actions needed to confront this emergency and lead the charge against climate change from the front.

Dr. Salisu Dahiru,
Director General,
National Council on Climate Change