BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
Committed to strengthening climate actions, the federal government has pledged to join forces with the French Development Agency, “Agence Française de Dévelopment” (AFD) towards the development of Nigeria’s low carbon roadmap.
This formed part of the deliberations when the new Country Director of AFD, Mr. Xavier Muron visited the Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor in Abuja yesterday.
Muron said the essence of the visit was to brainstorm on AFD strategies and priorities for climate action given Nigeria's commitment at the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, United Kingdom last month.
He said that the meeting provided another platform to discuss the upcoming launch of the Nigeria Deep Decarbonization Project (DDP Nigeria), expected to take place in Abuja in the coming week.
The project would be facilitated with the ministry alongside Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu, Alike –Ikwo, Ebonyi State, given a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the federal government and AFD in December, 2020.
One of the objectives is to reinforce the capacity of experts and researchers in Nigeria to produce studies that would help in analysing decarbonisation scenarios and low-emission development pathways.
DDP is coordinated 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 country director stated that AFD is 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, adding that some of the projects are ongoing while some are in the pipeline.
Muron said he was excited about the DDP Nigeria, which is a national research and capacity building project, designed for the implementation of a Deep Decarbonization Pathway Programme (DDPP) in Nigeria and funded by AFD, while the International Relation and Sustainable Development Institute (IDDRI) will coordinate the programme.
Also speaking, the National Project leader of DDP Nigeria, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, who is the Director, Center for Climate Change at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu– Alike, Ikwo in Ebonyi State, said he was excited that the project will strengthen the capacity of Nigeria to develop robust models in achieving its low carbon development.
Responding, the Minister of State, Barr Sharon Ikeazor thanked AFD for funding projects that would assist Nigeria in tackling climate change and other environmental challenges.
A statement signed by the Director of Press in the ministry, Saghir el Mohammed revealed that the ministry is determined to tackle the myriads of challenges posed by climate change, with the support of both national and international cooperation.
Ikeazor stated that given Nigeria's recently submitted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), that drastic measures are required in the areas of climate mitigation and to protect the country from the negative impact of climate change.
The minister said the ministry is partnering with relevant ministries and agencies to facilitate the financing and implementation of the country's Energy Transition Plan, even as she looked forward to hosting participants during the launching of DDP Nigeria.
On Nigeria's commitment to achieving net-zero emission by 2060, Ikeazor said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is working on a memo that would facilitate National Energy Transition plan for the country.
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