Nigeria, French Development Agency to promote climate action

The Nigerian government and the French Development Agency, AFD have reiterated commitment to strengthen their cooperation to promote climate action and low carbon economic development in the country.

This agreement was reached when the new Country Director of the French Development Agency, Mr Xavier Muron paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for the Environment, Sharon Ikeazor in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.

Mr Muron said the visit was to discuss AFD strategies and priorities for climate action in Nigeria, especially based on the just concluded COP26 and the commitment of Nigeria in this regard.

“The AFD was already funding and collaborating with the Ministry on several high-impact projects in the areas of waste management, biodiversity conservation, urban development, power transmission, and off-grid capacity development. Some of these, are already ongoing while some are in the pipeline,” the country Director explained.

Mr. Muron expressed satisfaction with the Deep Decarbonization Project of Nigeria, which is a national research and capacity building project for the implementation of a Deep Decarbonization Pathway Programme.

The DDPP in Nigeria is funded by the Agence Française de Dévelopment, AFD with the International Relation and Sustainable Development Institute, IDDRI as the Programme Coordinator.

The project is done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment under a framework established through a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU between the Nigeria government and the AFD signed in December 2020.

“The key objective of the DPP Nigeria is to mobilize and reinforce the capacities of local teams of experts and researchers in Nigeria to be able to produce country studies analyzing decarbonization scenarios and low-emission development pathways,” Mr Muron stated.

The DDP is being led by the Center of Climate Change and Development at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo with researchers from several universities across the country participating as Research Fellows.

The National Project leader for DDP Nigeria, who is also the Director of the Center for Climate Change at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke said he was excited that the DDP Nigeria will build the capacity of Nigeria to develop scenarios and produce robust quantitative models that can help guide the country’s long term low emission development.

Responding, the Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor applauded the AFD for their visit and for their pipeline funded projects to help Nigeria tackle climate change and related environmental challenges.

She said the Ministry is determined to tackle the challenges posed by climate change with the support of both national and international cooperation.

Ikeazor said it was evident through the ambitious NDC recently submitted by Nigeria that drastic measures are required in the areas of climate mitigation as well as efforts to enhance the adaptive capacity of Nigeria to protect the country from the negative impact of climate change.

“The ministry is fully aware of the imperative of energy transition for the country and is already working in close collaboration with other relevant ministries and agencies to facilitate the financing and implementation of the Energy Transition Plan of the government.” Ikeazor explained.

She said Nigeria was looking forward to hosting the participants in the launch to present the DDP project to the larger community of stakeholders to ensure wider project ownership as well as to begin the conversation on the scenarios that can help Nigeria achieve long-term climate objectives including the goal of net-zero emission by 2060.

Ikeazor further announced the commitment of Nigeria to achieve the goal of net-zero emission by 2060 that a Federal Executive Council memo is being prepared for a sustainable National Energy Transition plan for the country.

The meeting was intended to provide an opportunity to discuss the upcoming launch of the Nigeria Deep Decarbonization Project, DDP Nigeria scheduled to hold in Abuja in the coming week.

Nnenna.O