Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening strategic alliances with Japan and other international partners during the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Japan.
The Nigerian delegation, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, participated in high-level engagements that prioritised power, infrastructure, and industrial transformation as critical levers for sustainable development.
Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, with members of the Nigerian delegation and Japanese stakeholders at TICAD 9
Speaking at the summit, President Tinubu emphasised that Nigeria’s participation at TICAD 9 was not about trade exhibitions, but about forging strategic, outcome-driven partnerships that would deliver tangible results for the Nigerian people.
He stressed that Nigeria is deliberately shifting from planning to implementation, from agreements to delivery, and from promises to measurable results.
At TICAD 9, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who was part of the national delegation, held high-level engagements with Japanese stakeholders, including Toshiba, Hitachi, Japan’s Transmission & Distribution Corporation, and Energy Exchange corporations, focusing on transmission infrastructure, operational efficiency, and strategies to reduce system losses.
These engagements built on the recent Federal Executive Council approvals for counterpart funding of ₦19,083,192,805.30 to catalyse a loan funding of $238 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
This loan funding will support the expansion of the national grid with the addition of 102.95km of new 330kV double circuit (DC) line, 104.59km of new 132kV double circuit (DC) line, four 330/132/33kV substations, two132/33kv substations, two 330kV line bays extension, two 132kV line bays extension, and one 132kV Substation.
During this engagement, the Minister also announced that Nigeria is advancing a $190 million renewable energy loan facility supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), designed to scale distributed renewable energy solutions across underserved communities.
This builds on the recently launched $750 million World Bank Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme under the Mission 300 Compact, which aims to bring clean and reliable electricity to more than 17 million Nigerians.
In parallel, three substations funded by JICA through a $32 million grant are set for commissioning in Apo (FCT), Keffi (Nasarawa State), and Apapa (Lagos State). These projects will directly strengthen supply reliability to households, businesses, and industrial clusters, including critical facilities such as the Lagos Port and surrounding industrial areas.
In addition, through the partnership with JICA, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has commissioned a state-of-the-art training equipment in Abuja to strengthen the skills of distribution engineers and tackle network losses. This facility is designed to deepen local expertise and promote long-term sustainability in sector operations through capacity development which remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s power sector strategy.
Speaking during a panel session titled “HICKARE Africa: Harnessing Innovation, Co-creation, and Knowledge for Accessible and Resilient Energy for Africa,” Minister Adelabu highlighted Nigeria’s current energy realities, noting that only 55–60 percent of the country’s population of over 200 million has access to electricity, much of which remains unreliable.
He explained that the Federal Government is addressing this gap by expanding grid access in urban areas while simultaneously accelerating off-grid solutions, including solar mini-grids and standalone systems, for rural and peri-urban communities.
Despite persistent challenges such as limited access to affordable capital, cost barriers for rural households, and under-utilisation of productive-use equipment, Minister Adelabu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to overcoming these obstacles through supportive policies, strategic private-sector partnerships, and local manufacturing of renewable energy components.
The Minister of Power expressed deep appreciation to JICA and the Government of Japan for their long-standing support to the Nigeria’s power sector, recognizing JICA as a reliable partner in advancing the country’s energy transition and expanding access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity.
Minister Adelabu highlighted JICA’s contributions across infrastructure development, technical studies, training, and renewable energy financing and expressed optimism for further strengthened collaboration and partnership between the Governments of Japan and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Stakeholders on Thursday, August 21, 2025, converged on Abuja to develop skills to tackle climate change and its impact on agricultural growth in West and Central Africa.
They made this known at a two-day regional workshop on the revitalisation of the West and Central Africa Community of Practice (CoP) on foresight analysis.
Participants at the regional workshop on the revitalisation of the West and Central Africa Community of Practice (CoP)
Dr Alcade Segnon, a Scientist at the Alliance Biodiversity and International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), said that climate change is propelling additional challenges to the agriculture and food system in the region.
“And in the future, if enough actions are not taken the challenge will be worse, with more impact so there is a need to take into account the current project, develop and implement policy in the region.
“This is why foresight analysis is relevant and we are building the capacity together with our partners in the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF),’’ he said.
Segnon expressed optimism that with the new skill acquired, trainees would be able to mainstream foresight analysis and implement research programmes and policies in the region.
“So that this will help to take into account not only adaptation but also future uncertainty arising for climate change as well as non-climatic drivers such as population growth and environmental degradation,’’ he stated.
Similarly, Dr Abubakar Dabban, Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), noted that the importance of tools and methodologies to aid planning, execution, monitoring and control within the system could not be overemphasised.
“It is a fundamental pillar of strategic approach to agricultural research and development, this workshop marks yet another milestone in our collaborative journey as it represents the second major training initiative we have hosted together within the last 12 months.
“Let me assure you that the council remains committed to fostering a collaborative and innovative culture within the foresight community to drive meaningful change in our system,’’ he said.
Dabban urged stakeholders to champion the integration of the tools into operations to support strategic planning and anticipate future challenges.
“This will empower us to move beyond a reactive approach to proactively identify emerging trends, assess potential risks and develop resistance strategies that address the complex uncertainties facing our agricultural system.
“At the regional level, foresight analysis has proven instrumental in helping West and Central Africa’s agricultural research system aligned with regional development practice and priorities and goals.
“Through this workshop, we have the opportunity to strengthen our community of practice deepening our technical capability and partnership that will drive sustainable agricultural transformation across West and Central Africa,’’ he said.
The executive secretary noted that foresight analysis would foster cultural ecosystem and appealed to CORAF for increase in the training of Nigerians to frontier almost 8,000 or more than 1,000 so that the Nigerian ecosystem in general can be accommodated.
Also, Mr. Moumini Savadogo, Executive Director, CORAF, said that the importance of foresight analysis is mainly to prevent and anticipate all risks related to agriculture.
Savadogo, who was represented by Dr Esaie Kpadonou, a Soil Scientist and Climate Change Expert at CORAF, said that the foresight analysis would revitalise the community by adding new members.
“CORAF is covering 23 countries in West and Central Africa with our partners, mainly the Alliance of Bio-based Genome International and Council for Agricultural Research and Development,’’ he said.
The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) says Nigeria’s gold, limestone, and bitumen production is increasing, contributing significantly to local economic growth and job creation.
Mr. Dele Ayankale, the National President of MAN, made the announcement on Thursday, August 21, 2025, in Abuja during a news conference to officially inaugurate the 10th edition of Nigeria Mining Week, scheduled for October.
From left: VUKA Group’s Samukelo Madlabane; Dr Esther Udo; Faruk Yabo; MAN President Dele Ayankale; PwC’s Habeeb Jayeilola; and others at the Nigeria Mining Week inauguration in Abuja on Thursday
The Nigeria Mining Week is organised by MAN in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the VUKA Group.
The 2025 edition, themed “Mining from Progress to Global Relevance,” will take place from October 15 to 17.
Ayankale attributed the production growth to previous editions of the mining week, describing the event as a key platform for fostering innovative ideas that drove sectoral development.
He said over the past nine years, the annual conference had led discussions shaping Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, facilitating the introduction of emerging global technologies and policy reforms that had improved the ease of doing business.
He also noted that mining companies were increasingly adopting modern technologies and sustainable practices to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and boost community engagement.
According to him, the conference serves as a collaborative platform for government, investors, operators, service providers, sponsors, partners, and civil society to strategise on sustainable mining growth.
Ayankale said the 10th anniversary edition would further enhance dialogue, partnerships, and investment opportunities.
“It offers a chance to showcase technological innovation, sustainability, and business excellence across the mining value chain.”
He stressed that collaboration with critical stakeholders had been vital in shaping policies, improving operational standards, and building trust within the sector.
“During this edition, we will promote initiatives that encourage investment, improve safety, support artisanal and small-scale miners, and ensure compliance with global best practices.
“The event will also feature deal rooms, technical workshops, and strategic forums to facilitate practical solutions and direct engagement between operators and investors,” he said.
Inaugurating the 2025 Nigeria Mining Week, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, highlighted the event’s role in showcasing the sector’s potential to local and international stakeholders.
He was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Faruk Yabo, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to positioning Nigeria as a prime destination for mining investment.
He emphasised Nigeria’s vast mineral wealth, with more than 44 distinct minerals, positioning the country as a prime investment destination in Africa.
Alake said the event would bring together policymakers, financiers, miners, explorers, technology providers, and development partners to review the past decade’s progress.
He added that the forum would help set the tone for the future and strengthen Nigeria’s standing in the global mining community.
Mr Samukelo Madlabane, Event Director, Mining at VUKA Group, stated that the conference would also focus on unlocking investment opportunities in related sectors such as power, steel, and infrastructure.
Madlabane said new features for the 10th edition included a steel forum, women in extractive industries forum, gold and West Africa forum, and the Kaduna Mining Development Company (KMDC) deal room.
He said the conference was expected to attract about 3,500 participants from more than 20 countries.
These, he said, would include more than 2,300 mining professionals, 180 mining operators, and 137 industry experts.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says the country is on track to achieve a crude oil production target of 2.5 million barrels per day by 2026.
NUPRC Chief Executive, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, said this on Thursday, August 21, 2025, in Abuja during the 4th PENGASSAN and Labour Summit (PEALS 2025).
The summit was themed “Building a Resilient Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria: Advancing HSE, ESG, Investment and Incremental Production.”
He noted that Nigeria’s current oil output had increased from 1.46 million barrels per day in Oct. 2024 to 1.8 million barrels per day, with momentum building toward the 2026 target.
He credited the recent Presidential Executive Orders under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 for shortening contracting cycles, reducing investment risks, and encouraging upstream projects.
Komolafe highlighted the commission’s efforts in deepwater exploration, reactivation of dormant fields, and adoption of enhanced recovery techniques.
He also referenced a recent Deepwater Technical Stakeholders’ Workshop, which focused on unlocking more than 810,000 barrels per day in new production.
Komolafe outlined a cluster development strategy aimed at reducing costs, sharing infrastructure, and strengthening investor confidence.
On sustainability, Komolafe said the NUPRC’s Upstream Decarbonisation Framework targeted the elimination of routine gas flaring by 2030 and a 60 per cent reduction in methane emissions by 2031.
Nigeria’s 210 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, he added, would play a key role in the energy transition.
He called for stronger collaboration between government, industry, and labour, stressing that resilience in the sector must be a deliberate effort.
Also speaking, Mr. Jagie Baxi, Managing Director of ExxonMobil, identified four critical factors for boosting Nigeria’s oil production: geology, cost, risk, and reward.
He warned that in spite of Nigeria’s vast hydrocarbon resources, natural production decline, especially in deepwater operations, remained a challenge, with operators losing about 15% per cent output annually.
Baxi noted that high drilling and operational costs in Nigeria deterred fresh investment.
He stressed the need for risk-adjusted incentives to retain investor interest and urged improved collaboration among stakeholders to resolve disputes and revive underperforming fields.
A groundbreaking assessment has officially recognised four distinct giraffe species, overturning previous classifications of the world’s tallest land mammal as a single species. The taxonomic review, undertaken by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group (GOSG) Taxonomic Task Force, marks a major milestone in the giraffe taxonomy and reshapes how giraffe diversity is understood and conserved.
Historically, giraffe (Giraffa spp.) has been classified as a single species with nine subspecies, but they have long been the subject of taxonomic uncertainty. In response to growing scientific evidence and the urgent need for clearer conservation planning, the GOSG launched a Taxonomic Task Force in 2024 to comprehensively review the latest genetic, morphological and biogeographical data.
A herd of northern giraffe in Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park. Photo credit: Michael Brown
“This landmark taxonomic revision by the IUCN Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group reflects the best available science and provides a globally standardised framework to inform conservation,” said Michael Brown, Co-Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group and Conservation Science Coordinator for the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and one of the co-authors of the assessment.
“Recognising these four species is vital not only for accurate IUCN Red List assessments, targeted conservation action and coordinated management across national borders. The more precisely we understand giraffe taxonomy, the better equipped we are to assess their status and implement effective conservation strategies,” added Brown.
The Task Force evaluated extensive genetic data from multiple peer-reviewed studies, many of which investigated giraffe genetics, making giraffe among the most genetically well-studied large mammal taxa in Africa. Analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA consistently revealed large differences between several giraffe lineages, supporting the recognition of multiple species. Complementing the genetic work, the review also incorporated studies of morphological differentiation, including notable differences in skull structure and bone shape across regions.
Biogeographic assessments also considered the role of natural barriers – such as major rivers, rift valleys and arid zones – that could have contributed to evolutionary isolation. Together, these multiple lines of evidence provide scientific support for elevating certain giraffe populations to full species status, reflecting their distinct evolutionary histories.
The resulting report recognises four distinct giraffe species, with several recognised subspecies, each with important conservation implications:
Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
West African giraffe (G. c. peralta)
Kordofan giraffe (G. c. antiquorum)
Nubian giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis)
Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata)
Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
Masai giraffe (G. t. tippelskirchi)
Luangwa/Thornicroft’s giraffe (G. t. thornicrofti)
Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa)
South African giraffe (G. g. giraffa)
Angolan giraffe (G. g. angolensis)
Recognising four species leads to a more nuanced understanding of the unique conservation threats and opportunities that these different taxa face across the diverse regions of Africa that they inhabit.
The taxonomic update will now guide upcoming IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesassessments and influence national and international conservation policies aimed at halting giraffe decline.
The GOSG emphasises that taxonomy is an evolving science. As new evidence emerges, the group will continue to reassess classifications to ensure conservation strategies remain grounded in the most up-to-date understanding of giraffe diversity.
IUCN World Conservation Congress – less than two months away
The report comes less than two months ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress (October 9 to 15, 2025) in Abu Dhabi. The Congress is one of the world’s largest and most inclusive nature conservation forums.
It will convene decision-makers from government, civil society, Indigenous peoples’ organisations, academia, and business to advance and set the conservation and sustainable development agenda for decades to come.
The incoming COP30 Presidency on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, issued its sixth letter, setting clear expectations for countries to deliver new 2035 climate targets or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of the UN General Assembly this September and the UN’s synthesis report this October.
The letter, endorsed by André Aranha Correa do Lago, COP30 President Designate, underscores that NDCs are the clearest demonstration of governments’ commitment to their people.
COP30 President, Andre Correa do Lago
With four-fifths of Parties yet to submit, the Presidency warns of a foreseeable climate ambition gap and launches consultations on how to respond collectively. COP30, adds the Presidency, will be a critical moment to close this gap and align action with the 1.5°C limit.
In a reaction, Andreas Sieber, Associate Director of Policy and Campaigns at 350.org, said: “The COP30 Presidency’s call to close the ambition gap is not just overdue, it’s a last warning. Major emitters like China, the EU, and Australia are preparing to unveil new climate targets, but the truth is clear: the pledges we’ve seen so far are nowhere near enough to match the scale of the climate crisis.
“The world is on track for catastrophe if this shortfall is not confronted head-on. The Brazilian COP Presidency must force a real course correction at COP30, one that keeps 1.5°C alive. Every day of delay isn’t just lost time, it’s another step deeper into climate chaos.”
Sixth Letter from the COP30 Presidency:
August 19th, 2025
In further advancing our Global Mutirão against climate change, the Brazilian incoming Presidency of the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) presents its sixth letter to the international community – Parties and non-Party stakeholders – this time focused on preparations for COP30 itself.
In this letter, I will reflect on the 62nd sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) of the UNFCCC (SB62), which took place in Bonn, Germany, from 16 to 26 June 2025. Based on what the incoming Presidency heard from Parties in Bonn, I present below the next steps on our way forward with a view to COP30.
In my third letter, I invited negotiators to engage as co-builders of a global infrastructure of trust, by working together in a task-force mode to ensure significant progress in SB62. The June Bonn sessions reached satisfactory results that can pave the way to successful outcomes at COP30, including on outstanding negotiating issues related to (i) the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) indicators under the UAE–Belém Work Programme, (ii) the UAE Dialogue on implementing the Global Stocktake (GST) outcomes, and (iii) the UAE Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP).
The incoming Presidency deeply appreciates the invaluable leadership of the COP29 Presidency and of the SB Chairs, without which the progress achieved in Bonn would not have been possible. I feel privileged to count on your partnership and guidance with a view to COP30. I also thank all delegates, observers, and Secretariat staff who demonstrated extraordinary dedication and engagement in moving forward our collective work within the subsidiary bodies.
Though the results of SB62 were not ideal, our collective work in Bonn was not business as usual either. Our process did show that together we have shifted gears towards accelerating results for further intersessional work and subsequent formal consideration by the COP, the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), and the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA). Most importantly, SB62 sent clear signals around the unwavering commitment by all Parties to multilateralism and to the climate change regime we have built together since our Convention was opened for signature 33 years ago at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2025, the international community will be coming back to Brazil bearing the weight of great responsibility. Back in 1992, no one could have imagined we would achieve so much – and yet find ourselves today so close to frustrating the ultimate objective of the Convention, to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
The task of honoring the legacy we have built together in previous COP sessions rests on the shoulders of us all – from COP1 in Berlin in 1995 and COP3 in Kyoto in 1997 to COP21 in Paris in 2015. It is now up to us to take the next step at COP30, following the historic conclusion of the first Global Stocktake (GST) under the Paris Agreement at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, and the finalization at COP29 in Baku of both the Paris Rulebook and the last remaining negotiating mandate from COP21 – the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG). Carrying this legacy forward is our collective responsibility. We must take the next step at COP30.
COP30 is a moment to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Throughout its first decade, the Paris Agreement has shown both efficiency and resilience. The treaty is working. Its ambition and implementation cycle are fully in motion. Yet, global warming is now occurring much faster than scientific projections had indicated in 2015. At the same time, geopolitical and economic obstacles are raising new challenges to international cooperation – including under the climate regime.
Guided by equity and the best available science, we must now unite to unleash the next wave of ambitious climate action. We have no choice but to achieve exponential progress through concrete results. The science is clear: humanity’s ability to win the fight against climate change in the long run depends on the choices we make today – and how we act upon them over the next five years.
During SB62, I conducted consultations with all negotiating groups of Parties. I thank you for your engagement, openness, and trust. My team and I are genuinely dedicated to ensuring a fair, inclusive, transparent, and predictable process with a view to COP30. With the humility required by the complexity of the task before us, I will continue to need your creativity in finding new solutions to new challenges, as well as your constant and honest feedback from now until November to shape the outcomes of COP30.
COP30 is not about the incoming COP30 Presidency, nor about our delegations individually. COP30 is about the collective work we all need to deliver. It is about present and future generations. As I referred to in my fifth letter of 12 August 2025, the UNFCCC is ultimately about people. People are at stake. My team and I are driven by a strong sense of purpose that comes from a deep understanding that COP30 will carry implications that go far beyond the conference itself as an event. I invite all delegates to join the incoming Presidency in this purpose.
It is not up to the incoming COP30 Presidency to make history. It is up to us all to respond appropriately to the historical context we are living in. As the incoming steward of our process, I understand that we will all be judged – now and in the future – by how successful we are in honoring and preserving the legacy of our predecessors, whilst making the way for its further expansion from negotiation rooms to cabinet, board, and living rooms.
To all Parties to the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement, please be assured that the incoming COP30 Presidency is determined to serve as a vessel for your will to emerge in a balanced and coherent manner. Collective intelligence and procedural rigor will be safeguarded for a legitimate and truly effective process, as bias and short-term thinking would risk impairing the sustainability of our results in the longer term.
In protecting our Party-driven process, I remain committed to impartiality in raising our collective ambition. Humankind cannot afford further delay due to potential shortcomings in trust and cooperation, as COP30 marks the midway point of the decade the best available science assesses as critical to our efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C and thus significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Every fraction of a degree and every year over 1.5 °C matter towards keeping the ultimate objective of the Convention alive.
What we heard from Parties at SB62
At SB62, the incoming COP 30 Presidency listened carefully to you, the Parties, that COP30 must respond to how our nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in aggregate effectively promise humanity a safe, prosperous, and sustainable future. I have also noted outstanding divergences on the form and scope of our response to the NDCs and the synthesis report to be published by the UNFCCC Secretariat in October. Those divergences can and must be bridged, and I am determined to provide all conditions for frank, open, and creative dialogue towards this end.
Far from representing mere climate targets for 2035, our NDCs represent the vision of our shared future. They are vehicles of cooperation, enabling us to realize this vision together. If the image shown by our integrated NDCs turns out disappointing, it is our collective responsibility to convert it into a picture that will ensure a livable planet, protect all economies, and improve living standards and life opportunities for all peoples, for all generations – a picture that will make our children proud, relieved, and hopeful for their own future.
As we crossed the 100-day mark before COP30, around four-fifths (4/5) of the membership of the Paris Agreement have yet to come forward with new 2035 NDCs. Parties know how important it is that the UNFCCC receive NDCs in time to be reflected in the synthesis report. No action is a stronger demonstration of commitment to multilateralism and to the climate regime than the NDCs our countries present as a national determination to contribute to the Paris Agreement. First and foremost, NDCs are demonstrations of governments’ commitments to their people. The high-level event to be organized by the United Nations Secretary-General on 24 September 2025, on the margins of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA80), will provide a major platform for countries that have yet to do so to unveil new 2035 targets as their ultimate show of support for COP30, to the multilateral climate regime, and to a more prosperous future.
At SB62, the incoming Presidency undertook consultations with the COP29 Presidency on the ‘Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T’, aiming at scaling up climate finance to developing country Parties. The incoming Presidency equally listened to many Parties’ concerns about their ability to engage in ambitious climate actions when there are frustrations related to climate finance and to measures that impact international trade. We heard, moreover, expectations from some Parties regarding synergies among climate, biodiversity, desertification, and sustainable development, as well as the implementation of global calls for efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, and for accelerating the global energy transition – including on tripling renewable energy capacity globally, doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements, and transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly, and equitable manner. We have similarly noted some views that COP30 should reflect on the first cycle of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and loss and damage. As with NDCs, these issues are all relevant, but they do not all appear as individual agenda items for discussion in Belem.
COP30 Presidency Consultations
To ensure our work around such issues is strongly grounded in an inclusive, transparent and predictable process with a view to COP30, I am immediately launching incoming “COP30 Presidency Consultations” throughout the intersessional period to advance progress that would otherwise be left for the two weeks of the COP. The consultations during the intersessional period will be undertaken in coordination with the COP29 Presidency and the SB Chairs, who will be fundamental to success in Belem. Over previous COPs, Presidency Consultations have proven to be a uniquely effective mode of work in addressing issues of high political profile, as well as deadlocks in technical discussions, while ensuring inclusiveness and transparency. We hope incoming COP30 Presidency Consultations will provide space for Parties to channel priorities that are not currently covered under formal agenda items.
I encourage Parties to use these incoming Presidency Consultations if they feel they need to raise matters that are not covered by the provisional agendas of COP30, CMP20, CMA7, and SB63. These consultations can also address proposed items already added to agendas for which consensus is anticipated to be challenging. We should all aim for the smooth adoption of the agendas and the launch of work at COP30 and SB63, and I encourage Parties to refrain from introducing potentially contentious new agenda items that could further burden the process or detract from agreed priorities.
Our incoming COP30 Presidency Consultations will start in the coming weeks with an online session with all Parties, where I hope to collect preliminary views on the form and content of our response to the NDCs and the Synthesis Report to be published by the Secretariat in October. I will also be collecting views on additional issues that Parties believe deserve attention alongside our collective response to the NDCs Synthesis Report. Detailed information on the first online session of the intersessional incoming Presidency Consultations will be communicated soon by the Secretariat. As many Parties pointed out, we do not seek to prejudge the second GST or undertake an intermediate assessment. Rather, we will be seeking to enhance implementation.
Based on that initial exchange, we will then hold two subsequent in-person incoming COP30 Presidency Consultations with all negotiating groups and other Parties. The first incoming Presidency Consultation will take place on 25 September 2025, in New York, on the margins of UNGA80. The second will take place on 15 October, in Brasília, following the Pre-COP High-Level Ministerial Meeting. Related information will be communicated by the Secretariat. Online sessions with all Parties, admitted observers, and constituencies will be held after each in-person incoming Presidency Consultations. We ask Parties to plan accordingly in advance.
After the online session following the Pre-COP, consultations can continue virtually during the intersessional period and in-person during the pre-sessional week with negotiating groups and other Parties towards the smooth adoption of the agendas and the launch of work.
At COP30 itself, I will resume Presidency Consultations from 10 November 2025.
In parallel to incoming Presidency Consultations, I will rely on the ministerial pairs to support additional consultations on five major building blocks for the COP30 final deliverables: mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation, just transition, and the GST. More information on the designation of ministerial pairs will be forthcoming.
Against a background in which climate urgency interacts with compounding geopolitical and socioeconomic challenges, the incoming Presidency hopes we remain guided from now to November by three interconnected priorities: (1) to reinforce multilateralism and the climate change regime under the UNFCCC, (2) to connect the climate regime to people’s real lives, and (3) to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement by stimulating action and structural adjustments across all institutions that can contribute to it.
Let us work jointly, in the spirit of the Global Mutirão, to ensure COP30 is remembered as the moment the world chose unity over division, action over delay, and legacy over inertia – changing by choice, together.
André Aranha Correa do Lago COP30 President Designate
Communities and climate justice movements across the continent have mobilised under the Kick Total Out of Africa Week of Action, highlighting the extensive harm allegedly caused by TotalEnergies’ fossil fuel projects in Africa.
From grassroots assemblies to public demonstrations, activists have drawn attention to the company’s supposedly devastating record and amplified a growing call for accountability and a just energy transition.
TotalEnergies
Communities have raised urgent concerns, including:
Forced displacement and militarisation linked to major fossil fuel projects such as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Widespread environmental degradation through oil spills, gas flaring, and ecosystem destruction.
Escalating health and livelihood crises in communities impacted by extractive operations.
The urgent need for reparations and investment in community-owned renewable energy solutions.
TotalEnergies’ Ongoing Pattern of Exploitation
“TotalEnergies has become synonymous with extractive exploitation in Africa, pursuing oil and gas projects that enrich shareholders while deepening poverty, inequality, and ecological collapse. The company’s relentless expansion, despite the climate crisis, exemplifies corporate greed that disregards human rights and the environment,” submitted activist group 350.org.
In a landmark decision last week, the South African High Court rejected TotalEnergies’ application for offshore drilling rights, recognising the significant risks to marine biodiversity, climate, and coastal livelihoods. The ruling, according to 350.org, underscores both the legitimacy of community resistance and the unsustainability of fossil fuel expansion.
The People’s Tribunal: A Platform for Justice
On Friday, August 22, 2025, African communities and civil society organisations will convene the People’s Tribunal against TotalEnergies, a public forum designed to hear testimonies, present evidence, and build the case against the company in the court of public opinion.
While symbolic, the Tribunal is seen as a powerful act of resistance, giving voice to those most affected and demanding justice, reparations, and an accelerated transition towards clean, community-controlled energy.
The Kaduna State Government on Thursday, August 21, 2025, commenced desilting of 200,000 metres of drainages to tackle flooding across the state.
Mr. Abubakar Buba, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, stated this while flagging off “Dredging and expansion of River Kaduna and desilting of drainages” in Kaduna, the state capital.
Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State
Represented by Mrs. Linda Yakubu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the commissioner said that the exercise, supported by the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), would cover Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan.
“Last year we cleared 160,000 metres of drainages. This year, we increased it to 200,000 metres to expand coverage and protect more communities,” he said.
Buba explained that Sabon Tasha was chosen for the flag-off due to flash floods recorded in the area.
“Government has provided the drainages, but citizens must keep them free from refuse to allow water flow.
“Dumping refuse at median separators is an eyesore and exposes residents to disease outbreaks,” he added.
In her remarks, Mrs. Ikramat Umar, Assistant Chief, Disaster Reduction Unit, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said disaster management required collective responsibility.
“Government has shown commitment; residents must stop dumping waste into drainages,” she said.
Similarly, Mrs. Rahama Suleiman, Head of Environment, Climate and Energy, National Orientation Agency (NOA), commended the state government for the initiative.
“We are also sensitising communities across the state on the dangers of dumping refuse in waterways and the need to keep drainages clean,” she said.
On his part, Michael Augustin, Coordinator, Concerned Sabon Tasha Youth, pledged support for the exercise.
“We will work with the government taskforce to stop traders from turning road dividers into refuse dumps,” he said.
Africa has everything it takes to become a “renewable superpower”, UN head Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, August 21, 2025, as he called for greater investment in green energy across the resource-rich continent.
Guterres spoke at a three-day development conference in Japan attended by African leaders, where Tokyo is offering itself as an alternative to China as African nations reel from a debt crisis exacerbated by Western aid cuts, conflict and climate change.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco (L) greets UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Japan. Photo credit: Franck ROBICHON / POOL/AFP
“We must mobilise finance and technology, so that Africa’s natural wealth benefits African people, we must build a thriving renewables and manufacturing base across the continent,” Guterres said at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).
“Green power in Africa lowers energy costs, diversifies supply chains and accelerates decarbonisation for everyone.”
China has invested heavily in Africa over the past decade, with its companies there signing deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars to finance shipping ports, railways, roads and other projects under Beijing’s Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative.
But new lending is drying up, and developing countries are grappling with a “tidal wave” of debt to both China and international private creditors, the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, said in May.
African countries have also seen Western aid slashed, in particular due to President Donald Trump’s dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Guterres warned in his speech in the Japanese port city of Yokohama that “debt must not drown development” and that Africa needed increased concessional finance and greater lending capacity from multilateral development banks.
He also urged greater investment in climate solutions.
“Africa has everything it takes to become a renewable superpower, from solar and wind to the critical minerals that power new technology,” he said.
Attendees at TICAD included Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Kenyan President William Ruto.
Ruto said on social media platform X that Kenya was in talks with Japanese automaker Toyota for the provision of 5,000 “e-mobility vehicles” as part of the country’s “commitment to clean energy”.
In his opening address at the forum on Wednesday, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced a plan to train 30,000 people in artificial intelligence in Africa over three years and to study the idea of a Japan-Africa Economic Partnership.
Before the meeting kicked off, Ishiba also announced a vision for a distribution network that links African and Indian Ocean nations.
Both Tinubu and Ramaphosa, speaking on X, said they wanted a shift from aid to investment partnerships.
The Beacon Youth Initiative (BYI), in partnership with Education as a Vaccine (EVA), has called for stronger collaboration with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to promote climate justice.
The initiative’s Executive Director, Mr. Emmanuel-Envoh Okolo, announced this when he led the Climate Justice Clubs from three secondary schools on an advocacy visit to the ministry on Thursday, August 21, 2025, in Lafia, the state capital.
Abdullahi Audu Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State
Okolo said BYI led the climate justice clubs, mainly girls from Government Secondary Schools Ombi 1, Azuba Bashayi, and Shabu, to demand critical ASKs from the Ministry for Youth and Sports Development.
Okolo said BYI led climate justice clubs, mostly girls from three secondary schools – Ombi 1, Azuba Bashayi, and Shabu – to present key demands to the ministry.
He added that over the past four years, BYI, in partnership with EVA and others, had promoted climate justice in Nasarawa, raised awareness, and built the capacity of young women and women with disabilities.
“As part of the programme, we are able to establish a Climate Justice Club in three secondary schools in Nasarawa State, with most the students being girls.
“Our selection is based on the fact that women, young girls, and women with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
“We were able to expose the students to what climate change is about, the causes, mitigation, and adaptation, and how they can develop locally led solutions to climate change in their communities.
“I am excited to share with you that these students can now plant trees on their own, create awareness on climate change, and impact knowledge on their fellow students as well as their peers in the community,” he said.
According to him, BYI and partners are keen on amplifying the voices of these women, putting them in the right position where they can demand their rights regarding climate design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of programmes.
“As we know climate change is here with us, and action is all that we need now.
“So, the essence of their visit to this ministry today is to demand critical ‘ASKs toward climate change mitigation and adaptation in Nasarawa State,” he said.
Students from government secondary schools demanded more climate funding, teacher training, adoption of the Understanding Climate Change Handbook, and inclusive expansion of climate justice clubs.
In response, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Yakubu Kwanta, who pledged the ministry’s commitment to prioritising climate change and women’s issues, promised support toward realising the students’ demands.
Kwanta was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Ibrahim-Adamu Alhassan.
“We need to be deliberate and intentional in bringing young women and girls on board, and the only way to do that is to co-sign with them, co-plan with them, co-implement with them, and co-evaluate with them.
“I am very excited listening to these young girls. You must saturate your schools with the right knowledge and skills, then we scale up the club beyond three schools to all the schools in Nasarawa State.
“Thinking climate is thinking about the world, we only have one world we have to protect it so that it can serve us.
“It behoves us that when trees are falling, new ones are planted, we should use earth resources with a sense of responsibility.”
Kwanta said the ministry would craft activities like awareness creation and tree planting and make provisions for other issues raised at the ministry level in the 2026 budget to ensure climate justice in Nasarawa State.
