The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has called for increased global energy funding to support vulnerable populations across Africa.
Speaking at the First African Conference on Climate Justice in Abuja, RMAFC Chairman Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu stressed the need for international climate finance to drive sustainable development and expand energy access on the continent.
“The relevance of global energy funding cannot be overstated as it directly supports African nations in their transition to clean and reliable energy sources,” Dr. Shehu said at the conference, themed “Strategic Access, Mobilisation, and Equitable Allocation of Global Climate Funds for Vulnerable Populations.”
He added that Nigeria’s recent constitutional reform, which shifted electricity regulation from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list, has empowered subnational governments to take more active roles in power generation and distribution. This, he said, enhances Nigeria’s capacity to access global climate funds at various levels of governance.
In his keynote, Prof. Nnamdi Nwaodu, Director General of the Center for African-American Research Studies (CAARS) and Chief Convener of the event, urged Africa to move from the margins to the centre of global climate finance dialogues. “Climate justice means ensuring that vulnerable communities do not continue to suffer the most while contributing the least to climate change,” he said.
“We are not here to rehearse the known statistics of environmental harm—we are here to act. It’s time to claim our seat at the table and design climate finance frameworks that reflect our continent’s realities,” Nwaodu added.
The conference featured academic and technical sessions, with Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, former Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, presenting a paper on climate adaptation, governance, and resilience in Africa.
Arc. Steve Nwaiwu, Principal Consultant at Delish Nature & Wellness Africa, delivered a presentation on “Nature, Wellness, and Green Infrastructure for Urban Africa.”
A traditional ruler and Head of the Department of Political Science at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education,Okechukwu Izim, presented two papers: “Cultural Reflections on Environmental Justice” and “Climate Policy and African Political Economy.”
Also in attendance was Nwarieji Felistas, Director of the Center for Circular Economy Technology Education.
Participants discussed climate adaptation, governance, green infrastructure, and climate policy, stressing the need for strategic global financing to boost resilience and ensure environmental justice.
The event reflected a growing consensus among African leaders and global partners that access to climate funds is essential to overcoming energy poverty and confronting climate change in Africa.
PIAK