The National Council on Local climate Modify (NCCC) on Friday, April 12, 2024, at the UN Property in Abuja signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and the United Nations Enhancement Programme (UNDP) to develop a strategic Just Transition Roadmap (JTR) for Nigeria.
The advancement of a JTR is claimed to mark a critical second in Nigeria’s attempts to changeover to a carbon-neutral upcoming. The signing of the Just Transition Roadmap sets the stage for a challenge and report that will tutorial Nigeria’s work to make sure that climate and energy justice are positioned at the centre of the country’s effort and hard work to changeover away from fossil fuels in accordance with national and global local climate plans.
The ILO’s State Director, represented by Mr Steven Agugua, pointed out in his opening remarks that the transition to a fewer carbon-intensive economy is unavoidable because environment governments have established internet zero emissions targets, which quite a few are performing really hard to fulfill. He pointed out that failure to put together for the foreseeable future would not only jeopardise nationwide improvement but will also depart staff and some susceptible sectors stranded.
He famous that getting approaches to make the transition just and equitable is the ILO’s main strategic objective. He mentioned this purpose has informed ILO’s exertion to acquire a just changeover framework for Nigeria, which is a fossil fuel-dependent overall economy. The JTR, he stated, is an crucial stage in direction of attaining the ILO’s target of helping vulnerable sectors and staff in the changeover to a decarbonised long run.
Responding, the Director Typical (DG) of the NCCC, Dr Salisu Dahiru, acknowledged that Nigeria is in a tough situation regarding local climate improve and the global energy transition. The DG mentioned Nigeria’s special obstacle lies in the reality that just one hand, the country is quite vulnerable to climate adjust, and the other hand, very depended on oil and gasoline as national supply of earnings. He mentioned that this distinctive predicament calls for the will need to uncover means to make the transition to a sustainable vitality long run good to all.
This, he stated, necessitates a extensive comprehending of the hazards to several sectors and articulating considerate paths to reach the changeover in strategies that do not endanger Nigeria’s very long-phrase prosperity. He said it is to this stop that the Fee initiated the JTR with the intercontinental organisations to be certain that the state articulates ways to assure that eco-friendly transition is reasonable and equitable without having leaving Nigeria driving.
The DG expressed self confidence that the Centre for Climate Adjust and Advancement at Alex Ekwueme Federal University (CCCD-AEFUNAI), which will be main the development of the JTR, will do a fantastic task of providing pathways for Nigeria primarily based on countrywide financial and sociotechnical instances.
Continuing, the DG mentioned that Nigeria has no alternative but to participate in the world-wide decarbonisation initiatives. Having said that, he pointed out that the governing administration has a responsibility to take part in techniques that protected its prolonged-expression strategic pursuits. He explained the Federal Government, in collaboration with its global partners, recognises the great importance of supporting staff, ladies, and people with disabilities who are most likely to facial area larger hazards simply because of the purpose of phasing out fossil fuels.
He expressed self-assurance that CCCD-AEFUNAI, led by Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, a renowned climate policy scholar, has the staff to deliver the just transition roadmap.
In response, Professor Emmanuel Oladipo, a renowned scholar and Professorial Fellow at CCCD-AEFUNAI who led the team for the MoU signing function, expressed gratitude to the NCCC and other international associates for the prospect to set up a just changeover. He said that creating the framework is a critical nationwide endeavour in the shift to a potential with decreased carbon emissions.
He pledged that the CCCD group would give a roadmap that the state could use to program strategies for decreasing the carbon depth of their financial functions in approaches that supports the sectors and populations that are vulnerable to the changeover. He concluded that the just transition roadmap is an opportunity to establish back again greater and lay audio concepts of fairness in all transitions that depart no just one at the rear of.
Some of the other dignitaries that were being offers in the MoU signing ceremony involve: Team Guide, Ecosystem and Electricity, UNDP Nigeria, Muyiwa Odele the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Mohammed Mallick Tumble and Nationwide Programme Coordinator, Environment and Vitality, UNIDO, Oluyomi Banjo.
Other people include Head of the Directorate of Vitality, Infrastructure and Transportation, NCCC, Michael Ivenso Just Changeover Roadmap Project Coordinator, NCCC, Jummai Vandu Senior Study Fellow, CCCD-AEFUNAI in cost of weather finance Mr Obi Ugochukwu and Senior Study Fellow in demand of field and political overall economy, Dr Sadiq Okoh.
By Dr Austine Sadiq Okoh, Senior Investigate Fellow at CCCD-AEFUNAI