A member of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Rep Sir Sam Onuigbo, has said that Nigeria’s sustained efforts at mainstreaming climate change actions into national development priorities have continued to gain international recognition.
He disclosed that at a time when the world is grappling with the realities of climate change, including desertification, environmental degradation, forced migration, insecurity, and depletion of rivers and rivulets, the country has shown strong determination to transition from fossil fuel to clean energy.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on the imperatives of the Pre-COP30 Parliamentary Forum in Rio de Janeiro/Camara Rio, Brasil, Onuigbo, who is among the 39 resource persons expected to deliver papers at the conference, noted that the world faces an urgent need for just transitions to NET Zero reduction in carbon emission.
Onuigbo, who sponsored Nigeria’s signature legislation known as the Climate Change Act 2021, explained that the forum in Rio de Janeiro, which kicks off on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, should not be seen as a mere talk shop, stressing that Nigeria’s participation shows the level of interest the world has developed in the country’s strategic leadership.
While noting that Nigeria has continued to be on the frontline in advocating for climate justice, Onuigbo pointed out that the country is leveraging on the provisions of the Climate Change Act to drive its climate sustainability strategies, based on REDD+ and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to trade emission reductions as “Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs)”.
He stated: “REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, plus conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) is anchored in Articles 5 and 6 of the Paris Agreement.
“While Article 5 directly recognises the role of forests in mitigation, Article 6 provides the framework for voluntary cooperation between Parties to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including through market and non-market mechanisms.”
Other important provisions of Article 6, he said, include, 6.2, which “Allows countries to trade emission reductions as “Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs),” stressing that verified REDD+ results can be transferred between countries or entities to support NDCs.
“Article 6.4, Establishes a centralised crediting mechanism supervised by the UNFCCC, where REDD+ projects or jurisdictional programmes can generate units for compliance and voluntary carbon markets.
“Article 6.8: Provides for non-market approaches, including capacity building, technology transfer, and finance, which are important for REDD+ readiness and implementation,” he stated, adding that it could be seen that REDD+ serves as both a results-based finance instrument and a potential supply source of high-integrity carbon credits under Article 6.
The former federal lawmaker, who was recognised by the New York-based Business Insider as one of the 30 Top Global Climate Leaders in 2023, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for keeping aloft the torch of Nigeria’s bold contributions to the issue of climate sustainability.