In Africa we know all too well that decisions made far away can have a significant impact on us at home.
This certainly is the case when it comes to ongoing talks on global shipping climate action at the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London.
While the discussion on decarbonising shipping may seem distant from everyday life in Nigeria, they will shape the future of an industry that carries nearly all the food, energy, and goods Nigeria and other African countries deeply depend on.
The outcome at the IMO will inevitably influence our economic development, environmental sustainability, and food security.
As Africa’s largest economy and a leading voice for climate action, Nigeria has the responsibility to ensure an outcome at the IMO that helps advance Africa’s green development and economic transformation.
What’s on the table of the IMO’s meeting in April is IMO’s Net-Zero Framework, a carbon price mechanism designed to reduce shipping’s emissions while generating up to $15 billion of annual revenues by 2030. For Africa, this represents a major opportunity that we cannot miss.
The IMO’s multi-billion-dollar fund could power a new era of sustainable development: from expanding Nigeria’s solar energy infrastructure and modernizing the Port of Lagos, West Africa’s trade hub, to generating green jobs at scale. Far beyond Nigeria, the maritime transition could become a driver of investment, innovation, and sustainable growth across the whole continent.
That’s why Nigeria must seize this opportunity by showing up in April with clarity, purpose, and leadership and push for African countries to have equitable access to these critical resources.
But decarbonisation without safeguards comes with risks.
One of the pathways currently being explored to reduce shipping emissions is biofuels derived from food crops such as palm oil and soy. While their name might sound as if these fuels were “clean” and “green,” the reality is that they can be responsible for higher emissions than fossil fuels and their large-scale use could create terrible unintended consequences.
Nigeria already depends heavily on food imports, especially vegetable oils, essential to household consumption. If shipping begins competing with food markets for these same crops, global prices could significantly rise. For millions of Nigerian families already facing high food inflation, such price increases would be a heavy blow to their pockets.
Unfortunately, the risks are not limited to food markets alone. Expanding crop-based biofuel production can also intensify pressure on land, especially for small-scale farmers, potentially leading to deforestation and biodiversity loss. All across Africa, where agriculture remains central to livelihoods and food systems, these pressures could undermine both environmental sustainability and households’ income stability.
The next steps are clear and will require countries like Nigeria to engage early, speak clearly and act decisively. First, Nigeria must ensure that the Net-Zero Framework remains protective of vulnerable economies and untouched ahead of its adoption in November. Second, our country must champion safeguards against the use of food-based biofuels that could threaten food security and land sustainability.
Too often, African nations enter global negotiations divided or underrepresented. Nigeria has the diplomatic relations, economic weight and moral authority to help unify the continent behind ambitious climate action. Now it is time to bring African voices together.
By Olumide Idowu, Executive Director, ICCDI Africa