The second day of ACS2 was animated by numerous side events hosted by governments, intergovernmental bodies, civil society groups, and international initiatives. Among them were two sessions organised by the Nigerian Council for Climate Change, the Government of Kenya, the European Union, and the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA).

The events: “African Leadership on an Orderly, Just and Equitable Transition Away from Oil and Gas” and “Partnerships for an Orderly, Just and Equitable Transition Away from Oil and Gas”, were billed as opportunities to showcase leadership on the transition away from fossil fuels.

These sessions highlighted national and regional strategies for moving away from fossil fuels, with Nigeria and Kenya sharing their domestic efforts. At the same time, the EU and BOGA outlined their support mechanisms for governments navigating the energy transition. Yet what should have been straightforward policy discussions soon revealed deep contradictions at the heart of Nigeria’s climate posture.

Mrs. Omotenioye Majekodunmi, the Director-General of the National Council for Climate Change (NCCC), announced that Nigeria had been accepted into the BOGA Fund. For many in civil society, this announcement was jarring, given Nigeria’s earlier declaration in the year that it intends to restart oil exploration in Ogoniland, a region long devastated by pollution and displacement linked to fossil fuel extraction.

For civil society, the dissonance is glaring: BOGA was established to accelerate a phase-out of oil and gas, yet Nigeria continues to champion a “phase-down” model, signalling no intention to set a Paris Agreement-aligned date for ending fossil fuel operations as required by BOGA. At COP28, Nigerian officials were explicit that a phase-out of fossil fuels “is not in line with Nigeria’s position,” insisting instead on prolonging oil and gas exploitation under the guise of cleaner emissions.

The paradox is plain. How can a country commit to new oil drilling while simultaneously joining a global initiative premised on ending such expansion? Unless there has been a substantive policy shift that has gone unannounced, civil society is left asking whether BOGA is diluting its own principles, or whether the NCCC’s declaration is more symbolic than structural. For communities in the Niger Delta and for global observers, this inconsistency undermines both Nigeria’s credibility and BOGA’s mission.

The Politics of ‘Orderly’ in Transition Language

Equally troubling was the framing of the side events themselves. The inclusion of the word “orderly” in the event titles drew scrutiny from civil society organisations, who have long warned that such language often conceals an agenda of delay. When pressed to clarify, a COP30 presidency representative responded that “language shouldn’t distract us from taking the necessary steps towards the transition.” However, for frontline communities, words are not distractions; they shape priorities, policies, and the flow of finance.

Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), cautioned: “Formulations are key as they drive both mindset, policies, and investment. Gradualism is virtually the same as permitting convenience to be the rule, just as with voluntary NDCs. Justice isn’t a gradual thing. No gradualism when you are drowning or licked by roaring flames.”

Dr. Mfoniso Xael, Programmes Manager at HOMEF, who posed the question during the session, echoed this concern: “’Orderly’ risks being code for delay. It could mean gradual, cautious, or slow change instead of the urgent phase-out needed. It risks locking in decades more extraction, preserving oil revenues at the expense of frontline communities, and placing control in the hands of fossil fuel producers rather than grassroots actors.”

For civil society, these two developments – Nigeria’s contradictory positioning within BOGA and the careful insertion of “orderly” into transition discourse – are not separate issues but symptoms of the same dynamic: a global energy debate where fossil fuel interests continue to bend language, institutions, and timelines to their advantage. Justice, however, cannot wait. The climate emergency demands clarity, honesty, and above all, urgency. Justice cannot be disguised as gradualism.

By Rex Anighoro