Climate change: Nigeria steps up policies for green economy

Nigeria says it is taking giant steps in ensuring that necessary policies on climate action are in place.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Ismaila Abubakar in a message at a one day workshop for technical presentation and stakeholders’ engagements on “Just Green Initiative Transition” JGIT, which held in Abuja, said that Nigeria being a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, will do everything possible to ensure a Just Green Transition economy.

It is the gathering of stakeholders on just transition due the impact of climate change, involving the government, employers and labour who are social partners as well as other stakeholders including the International Labour Organisation ILO.

Agenda was to review existing Just and Gender Inclusion Transition JGIT definitions, concept and overall approach in Nigeria, review existing systems in use in Nigeria for Measuring, Reporting and Verification MRV and how Ministries, NGOs and communities have participated in the past and the building upon the 2021 ICAT MRV sectoral review, review current policy entry points and outcomes of policies on the general public as well as women, youth and vulnerable groups among others .

Addressing the gathering, the Permanent Secretary, said that the Nigeria-|CAT project was gradually winding down with over 60% of the MRV of JGIT completed.

He added that there had been engagements with key stakeholders at various levels across boards in the bid to get usable and accurate data for the report the workshop will be reviewing.

“The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in line with its mandate is tasked with ensuring a Just Transition, whereby, more job opportunities are created instead of job losses as the Federal Government gears towards a greener economy.

“The Ministry is saddled with the responsibility of preparing, formulating, coordinating, reviewing, implementing and enforcing all Government policies and regulations which relate to employment generation, labour protection, productivity improvement, industrial peace and harmony, occupational safety and health in workplaces.

“This is why the Ministry, in the spirit partnership, is being supported by ICAT to drive this process through the Nigeria-|CAT project”, the Permanent Secretary said.

According to him, Nigeria, being a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, is taking giant steps in ensuring that necessary policies on climate action are in place.

“In line with the aforementioned, ICAT Supported Nigeria to develop an MRV Institutional Arrangement with focus on Three (3) Priority including Oil and Gas, Transport and AFOLU Sectors and also developed MRV indicators and tools to track the implementation of the Paris Agreement”.

The outcomes of this workshop Mr Abubakar said, will set a precedence for next steps and way forward in the drive for a Just and Gender Inclusive transition in Nigeria.

For the International Labour Organisation ILO, addressing climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires transitioning to a net-zero carbon emission noting that while this is an essential task that can provide significant economic and social benefits, it can also pose significant challenges for countries and communities that are still dependent on fossil fuels and other emissions-intensive sectors.

In a message, the Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Serrie Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Ms Vanessa Phala, also said that keeping global warming below 2 degrees C could create 18 million net jobs worldwide.

“However, in the energy sector, the transition away from fossil fuels could also result in the loss of 6 million gross jobs by 2030. Therefore, to ensure a net job gain, we must embrace just transition, which translate to equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of climate action, which can be achieved through social dialogue and stakeholder engagement among workers, employers, governments, communities and civil societies”.

She commended the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the International Climate Action Transparency ICAT, the ILO constituent partners the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association NECA, the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and the Trade Union Congress TUC, for promoting harmonious business environment to engender productivity and prosperity in the Nigerian business sectors.

Speaking on the expected outcomes from the workshop, the ICAT JGIT Project Team Lead, Dr Yarima Tarfa, said that the document is expected to provide insight for decision-makers to make informed decisions in developing equitable and gender-inclusive climate policy by setting appropriate goals, tracking their progress, and reporting to interested parties.

Other expected outcomes according to Dr Tarfa include, “Nigeria can apply the JGIT MRV, allowing the Government to monitor Just Transition impact indicators of the targeted climate policies and actions defined for two sectors (Oil & Gas and AFOLU); and to link the JGIT MRV systems with an overarching MRV system in support of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement.

“Nigeria successfully applies good practices and tools that integrate transparency on climate policies and action with evidence-based policymaking, assessing the impacts (in terms of jobs created/lost, and other social co-benefits) of policies and measures”.

There were good will messages from ICAT Management in Bonn, Germany, TUC, NLC, NECA, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria MAN and the National Council on Climate Change NCCC.