The Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) is advocating the full operationalize of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems for Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) to strengthen Nigeria’s climate action efforts.
Mrs. Florence Ibok-Abasi, Country Director of SDN, stated this on Thursday at a workshop organized by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) in collaboration with SDN, and supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), in Abuja.
The initiative aims to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to track and reduce SLCPs such as methane and black carbon, particularly in key sectors including oil and gas, agriculture, and waste management.
Ibok-Abasi explained that SDN, in partnership with NCCC, is working to integrate MRV for SLCPs into Nigeria’s national framework, ensuring accurate reporting and transparency. This effort aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to reducing methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
“SDN has been working in the Niger Delta for over 20 years, primarily supporting host communities to engage with local, state, and federal governments, as well as oil companies. Beyond that, we now provide technical assistance across all levels of government,” she said.
She stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement, noting, “It is extremely important because you cannot reduce what you cannot measure. That is why we support strategies to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants such as methane.”
Ibok-Abasi further highlighted that CCAC has expressed satisfaction with SDN’s work, noting discussions are ongoing for a possible second phase of the intervention. She added that the workshop served as a follow-up to initial capacity-building sessions critical for strengthening institutional capacity to operationalize MRV for SLCPs in line with national frameworks.
Mr. Okebugwu Chukwuemeka, Assistant Director at NCCC, commended SDN for the partnership. He said progress had been made regarding MRV systems and encouraged the continued harmonization of ideas to ensure SLCPs are properly integrated and estimated in Nigeria’s MRV framework.
Dr. Bala Bappa, National Coordinator of CCAC, described the coalition as a voluntary partnership of governments and stakeholders committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through targeted SLCP reduction actions. He noted that Nigeria has been a long-standing and valued CCAC partner, receiving support across multiple sectors.
Bappa recalled that SDN had conducted comprehensive stakeholder mapping, consultative meetings, and engagements across sectors to facilitate successful MRV implementation. A needs and gap analysis was carried out through consultations with relevant MDAs, with outcomes and proposed solutions presented at a previous workshop.
Dr. Jude Samuelson, Head of Environment and Climate Change at SDN, commended 16 MDAs for their cooperation and adoption of recommendations generated through the project. He reaffirmed SDN’s commitment to supporting the operationalisation of MRV systems and ensuring that MDAs across key sectors build the necessary capacity to effectively implement SLCP MRV.
