The Nigerian government has reaffirmed its determination to continue leading efforts to find sustainable solutions to climate change challenges across Africa and beyond.
The Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, stated this in Belem, Brazil, while speaking with journalists at the 30th Session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).
El-Rufai said Nigeria would continue to leverage its regional influence to mobilize climate finance and promote adaptation funding for African nations to collectively tackle the impacts of climate change.
“One thing the world will look out for is Nigeria’s leadership in Africa. We have influence within ECOWAS and the African Union to demonstrate that we are that big brother,” she said.
“We must galvanize all stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, to ensure that we implement our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and make them work for us.”
She noted that Nigeria’s natural endowments—oil, gas, and renewable energy—will continue to play a key role in driving its climate goals while addressing broader development challenges.
“We will use our natural capital to implement the NDCs in ways that work for us and support sustainable growth,” she added.
El-Rufai stressed that preserving nature and the environment is vital for Nigeria’s economic stability and the well-being of future generations.
“How we use natural resources is key to sustainability. We must live responsibly and leave a better future for the generations to come,” she said.
She also highlighted Nigeria’s proactive stance in global climate governance, noting that the country has already submitted its NDCs to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), unlike many nations still lagging behind.
“Many countries have yet to submit their NDCs, but Nigeria has. China and the EU just submitted theirs. We are leading because we have a Climate Change Act and a carbon market framework in place,” she said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after leading Nigeria’s delegation to COP30, where he delivered the country’s position at various sessions, including the Leaders’ Climate Summit and a high-level meeting on “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans.”
Shettima reaffirmed that Nigeria’s renewed climate agenda represents “not just an aspiration, but a solemn national commitment to preserve the planet for future generations.”
