Nigeria has emerged as West Africa’s leader in climate action following its submission of the region’s first Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The announcement came as Vice President Kashim Shettima prepared to unveil Nigeria’s green transition roadmap to world leaders at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, aimed at turning the country’s climate commitments into tangible investments and projects.
Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dr. Tenioye Majekodunmi, disclosed the development to journalists ahead of the summit’s opening ceremony. She said Nigeria’s pioneering role positioned it to leverage COP 30 for increased investment opportunities, partnerships, and international support for its climate initiatives.
“COP 30 is particularly important for us in Nigeria because of the momentum we have built in recent months, especially with the submission of our NDC 3.0,” Majekodunmi said. “Being the first West African country to submit marks a turning point for Nigeria.”
The NDCs, a central feature of the 2015 Paris Agreement adopted by 196 countries, outline each nation’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change every five years.
Majekodunmi identified three major objectives Nigeria hopes to achieve at COP 30. She said the government plans to translate the deliverables of its NDC 3.0 into actionable projects, partnerships, and performance-based initiatives.
“One of our main goals is to move from paper to projects. We want to turn our commitments into investment pipelines,” she stated. “Just days ago, the Federal Government approved the National Carbon Market Framework and initiated steps to operationalise the National Climate Change Fund. These decisions signal to investors that Nigeria is open to high-integrity carbon investments with real environmental and community benefits.”
She added that COP 30 provides an ideal platform for Nigeria to activate its carbon market framework and strengthen cooperation with other countries in the Global South.
“Belem gives us the right global matchmaking platform to achieve this. We are also deepening our collaboration with the Amazon, Congo, and Guinea forest regions in line with Brazil’s forest protection agenda,” she said.
Presidential spokesperson, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, said Nigeria’s participation at COP 30 reflects its strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and particularly Goal 13, which focuses on climate action.
“For us as a country, our presence here goes beyond participation. It demonstrates President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the 2016 Paris Accord and to ensuring that Article 13 on climate change is implemented in full,” Nkwocha said.
He added that Vice President Shettima will highlight Nigeria’s NDC 3.0 and reaffirm the nation’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent by 2035.
Shettima is scheduled to address the High-Level Thematic Session on Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans and deliver Nigeria’s climate action statement during the leaders’ plenary session at COP 30.
