As the global community marks the International Waste Pickers Day, the Lagos waste pickers have called on the government at all levels to expedite action on the global plastic treaty.
Waste pickers
Mr. Friday Okuh, President, Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL), made the call at an event on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Lagos.
The International Waste Pickers Day is celebrated annually on March 1 in commemoration of waste pickers who lost their lives in Colombia in 1992.
The Global Plastic Treaty is an international agreement currently being negotiated by around 175 countries to end plastic pollution at every stage of the material’s lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal.
Okuh said the treaty should recognise the rights of waste pickers in international and local laws, reducing plastic pollution, and guarantee a just transition for waste pickers.
“Our vital work in material recovery, collection, recycling, and reuse actively combats plastic pollution and addresses climate change and circular economy sustainability.
“A treaty with mandatory Just transition provisions will uplift more than 300,000 in Nigeria and over 40 million waste pickers worldwide, secure our livelihoods, and affirm our essential role in safeguarding our planet.
“We call on governments to finalise this treaty with bogus ambition treaty without delay, and we urge every waste picker to advocate for a future that respects our contributions.
“We honour the memories of our comrades who tragically lost their lives in Colombia on March 1,” Okuh said.
He said ASWOL stands in solidarity with the courageous waste pickers who face violence daily on dumpsites and streets and with those in some states and Abuja who are enduring displacement from their livelihood.
“The livelihoods of waste pickers were under increasing threat with governments closing dumpsites and landfills without consulting us, even though we depend on these spaces for our works and wages.
“We celebrate every waste picker in Lagos Nigeria and other organisations and movements that commemorate this day.
“Our collective commitment drives community progress and ignites transformative change in the country and worldwide,” Oku said.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), the European Investment Bank (EIB), with the support of the European Union (EU), on Friday, February 28, 2025, announced a €100 million financial partnership to support climate action and environmental sustainability projects in the ECOWAS region.
EBID and EIB officials announce a €100 million financial partnership to support climate action and environmental sustainability projects
The €100 million credit line signed under a €150 million envelope is the EIB’s first operation with the EBID. It supports economic development, climate action and environmental sustainability in the ECOWAS region, which fills the financing gap in these areas and contributes to sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.
The facility affirms joint EBID and EIB targeted support for sustainable investments across the ECOWAS region, with particular support for sectors contributing to climate mitigation. The projects which will be financed by this operation target particularly renewable energy including small and medium-sized photovoltaic projects, sustainable agriculture and water treatment.
The project – targeting total investments of at least €300 million – is in line with the strategic priorities of the ECOWAS region and is part of the European Union strategy in Africa under the Africa-European Union Green Energy Initiative as well as the Global Gateway strategy, a model for how Europe can build more resilient connections with the world.
It also responds to the ECOWAS Vision 2050 ambitions linked to the environment, economic growth, private sector development and regional integration as well as the ECOWAS Regional Climate Strategy and the Action Plan for 2022- 2030.It contributes to various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as sustainable agriculture, health and quality education, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy.
“We appreciate this line of credit as an initiative of the European Investment Bank to help ECOWAS countries increase their growth and sustainable development,” said EBID Vice President Risk and Control, Dr Mory Soumahoro. “This partnership demonstrates EBID’s commitment to supporting regional member countries’ access to sustainable sources of finance.”
“I am very delighted to sign this first operation with the EBID to support economic development, climate action and environmental sustainability in the ECOWAS region. It will help to bridge the financial gap in this region while contributing to reduce poverty and ameliorate daily lives,” said EIB Vice-President, Ambroise Fayolle.
He added: “By contributing financially to this project, the EIB demonstrates its commitment to regional integration and developed infrastructure for the benefit of local populations. Through EIB Global, our branch dedicated to development, we aim to support the EU’s Global Gateway initiative and key sectors in the region such as innovation, digital economy, renewable energy, water, agriculture and transport.”
Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, said: “More than half a billion people in Africa still lack access to electricity. Our long- standing goal is to change that. The partnership between the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) is a clear demonstration of our commitment to supporting sustainable development and climate action in Africa. By mobilising €300 million for projects that promote clean energy, we are empowering people in the ECOWAS region to build a greener and more prosperous future.”
The EIB loan will also be accompanied by technical assistance programme of the EIB with climate action focused training and capacity building This is said to be closely aligned with the EIB and EBID initiatives supporting sustainable development.
The ravaging destruction of the land, the poisoning of rivers, the collapse of agriculture, and the soul-crushing erosion of livelihoods – this is the grim reality for the people living in Owukpa, Odoba, and Efeche. These once vibrant communities in Benue State, rich with coal beneath their feet, are now left gasping for survival, as their futures are darkened by the neo-extractive mentality that prioritises profit over people, and exploitation over sustainability.
Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State
The Hollow Promise of Progress
In 2023, I was contacted by a friend, an industrialist, Chris Echikwu, who sought my help to investigate the pollution caused by the coal mining runoff from Dangote’s operations in Efeche. What I encountered was a brick wall, not just in terms of finding solutions, but in understanding the apathy that gripped the local community. Despite the pollution, the youth in the village appeared satisfied with the short-term benefits they received from the mining activities, turning a blind eye to the downstream consequences on the Okpokwu River, their only water source. This was not an isolated case. I made contact with the Nigerian Coal Network Nbani Friday Barilule, hoping to bring attention to the issue, but once again, the efforts died in vain as local interest waned, and the story faded into silence.
The situation was no better in Odoba, Ogbadibo LGA. The former LGA Chairman reached out to me, desperate for help in investigating the harmful mining activities in the area. Yet again, my investigation came to an abrupt end, a stillbirth of potential change, as no one seemed willing to confront the harsh reality. What we have is a tragic paradox: communities drowning in coal wealth yet suffocating from its environmental cost.
Benue’s Burden: Rich in Coal, Poor in Action
Benue State sits atop one of Nigeria’s richest coal deposits, stretching across the vast expanse of the Benue Trough. With more than 220 million tons of proven coal reserves, it should be a beacon of progress and prosperity. Yet, despite this vast wealth, the state is caught in a perpetual cycle of poverty, environmental degradation, and unfulfilled promises. The coal-rich regions of Owukpa, Odoba in Ogbadibo LGA, and Efeche in Okpokwu LGA have long depended on coal mining as their economic backbone. But this dependence has come at a great price.
Owukpa: A Crushed Community Beneath the Weight of Profit
Owukpa, a district within Ogbadibo LGA, is an epicentre of this tragedy. With an estimated 75 million tonnes of subbituminous coal buried beneath its surface, Owukpa has been mined by the Owukpa Consolidated Mines Limited since 2007. In theory, this mining should have transformed the community. Instead, it has decimated the very land that people rely on. The unrelenting extraction of coal has turned once-fertile land into barren stretches, covered in erosion scars and toxic waste.
Women, the bedrock of agriculture in the area, have seen their livelihoods evaporate. Their farms are swallowed by the dust, the soil tainted with heavy metals, the crops wither, and the river which was once a lifeline now poisons their homes (including mine, I and my immediate family drink this water daily).
The Okpokwu River, which flows through Owukpa and neighboring towns like Okpoga and Otukpo, is no longer a safe water source. Polluted with mining runoff, it has become an emblem of the environmental atrocities that have been allowed to continue unchecked. The water, once vital for drinking, farming, and fishing, is now contaminated with toxic metals, making it unsuitable for consumption or agriculture. And this isn’t just a local crisis; the contamination ripples downstream, affecting even the distant communities in Cross River State.
The School of Despair: A Symbol of a Broken System
The story of Owukpa’s secondary school tells a tale of neglect and indifference. Built within the shadow of the mining site (the only community secondary school is located with the mining site. In fact, coal is deposited beside the school dining hall), it stands as a stark reminder of the forgotten future of these children. Coal dust clouds the air, and the vibrations from mining explosions threaten the integrity of the school’s structure (they are all cracked). Education, the one thing that could offer these children a way out, is compromised every day by the very industry that is supposed to provide them with hope-The children are living chronic disease time bombs (Please google search).
The Struggles of Owukpa’s Secondary School and Local Infrastructure
One of the most disturbing effects of coal mining in Owukpa is the condition of the local secondary school, which is located near the mining site. The school, which serves as the only secondary education facility in the area, is surrounded by coal debris. Students are forced to study in an environment fraught with coal dust, posing serious health risks. Moreover, the vibrations from frequent mining explosions have left the school building in a precarious condition, with the constant threat of collapse.
Local infrastructure has also suffered. Roads, already poorly maintained, have become increasingly impassable due to the heavy truck traffic associated with coal transport. This has made it difficult for farmers, particularly women, to access markets to sell their agricultural products. The destruction of local roads has further isolated these communities, making it harder for them to engage in trade and access essential services.
Women’s Resistance and Calls for Sustainable Mining Practices
In response to the environmental and social toll of coal mining, women in Owukpa have taken an active role in advocating for change. Led by local women’s groups such as Women in Mining, they have organised protests against unsustainable mining practices and demanded better protection of their land and resources. These efforts have raised awareness of the damaging effects of mining and have led to some policy responses https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/533623-coal-mining-stirs-womens-protest-in-benue-community.html?tztc=1 The state and federal governments set up different panels (at my instance in collaboration with others). I testified before the panel and participated in the parley. https://dailytrust.com/miners-wont-be-allowed-to-cheat-host-communities/ However, significant challenges persist, including continued pollution of water sources, a decline in agricultural productivity, and the lack of viable alternative livelihoods for affected communities.
The Scorched Earth Mentality: Mining for Today, Destroying Tomorrow
This is not just mining; this is the epitome of the scorched earth mentality, a mindset that extracts resources without regard for future generations, communities, or ecosystems. The modus operandi of companies like Dangote’s operations in Benue State reveals a ruthless approach to mining that maximises short-term profit while devastating the land, air, and water. Massive trucks rumble through the night, carrying away 30 tonnes of coal in a single trip, and the land left behind is ravaged, devoid of life.
About 200 trucks haul coal daily to Dangote cement company located at Obajana. The result is a suffocating spiral of environmental destruction. The once-rich soil is gone. The water is undrinkable. The air is thick with coal dust, and the communities that remain are trapped in a cycle of exploitation, their future robbed by a mentality that cares only about profit.
The Forgotten People: A Cry for Justice
The coal mining industry in Benue State, including operations like those of Owukpa Consolidated Mines and Dangote Mines Ltd., has brought wealth to corporations, but it has brought nothing but despair to the local people. The promises of wealth and development have been hollow, and the promises made to the communities, promises of improved infrastructure, social services, and fair compensation still remain unfulfilled. Mining activities continue, unchecked, without any real benefit to those who live closest to the extraction sites.
These communities are not merely passive victims; they are the forgotten people of Nigeria’s coal industry. They are left without clean water, without the means to feed their families, and without hope. They are left to endure the health risks, the economic hardship, and the environmental destruction caused by a short-sighted, neo-extractive system that sees them only as expendable resources.
The Need for a Sustainable Mining Approach
The coal mining activities in Owukpa, Odoba Ogbadibo LGA, and Efeche, Okpokwu LGAs underscore the urgent need for a more sustainable and equitable approach to mining in Nigeria. While coal mining has brought economic benefits to the region, it has come at a significant environmental and socio-economic cost. Unfortunately, the MOUs agreed with host communties are not adhered to. Similarly, the provision of social amenities has not commenced despite extensive extraction of coal. Again, there is no evidence the proceeds of coal is remitted to the federal, state and local government as enshrined in the Act of 2007.
The environmental degradation resulting from unsustainable mining practices in these communities must be addressed through proper reclamation efforts, water management, and more eco-friendly extraction methods. Moreover, the social and economic impacts on local communities, particularly women, must be given greater attention. Providing alternative livelihoods, improving access to basic services, and ensuring that local voices are heard in mining-related decision-making processes are essential steps toward creating a more sustainable future for these coal-rich communities.
A Call for Action: The Time for Change Is Now
The time has come for a change. The reckless extraction of coal must stop. The environmental and social costs are too great to ignore any longer. The Nigerian government, Ministry of Mines and Power, mining companies, and civil society must come together to demand a new approach. This is one that prioritises the well-being of the people and the protection of the environment.
It is not enough to extract the wealth of the land without reinvesting in the communities that have borne the brunt of this exploitation. There must be a comprehensive and sustainable mining approach that includes reclamation efforts, proper water management, eco-friendly extraction methods, and the provision of real benefits to local communities – especially women, who bear the heaviest burden.
To my people of Owukpa, Odoba, Efeche, and Ochobo, Okpoga, Otobi, Igummale and Obi your cries and groans must be heard. It is time for the world to hear them too. We cannot allow this travesty to continue. We must act now to ensure that the coal beneath the earth does not claim the future of the people above it.
Following the outcome of a one-day workshop organised by the University of Nigeria Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (UNN-REPRC), Prof. Nnaemeka Chukwuone was reported by the EnviroNews Nigeria (see https://www.environewsnigeria.com; Nigeria estimates over $2bn carbon market activation by 2030; published on January 20, 2025) to have projected a $2 billion carbon market in Nigeria by 2030.
Based on my thorough reading of the news report and the claims made by Prof. Nnaemeka, Director of UNN-REPRC, I have considered it important to make this short article in response and to clarify the confusions in the global carbon market for the sake of the Nigerian climate scientists and environmentalists. Climate change itself is a market in crisis, therefore no other market can solve climate change
Carbon emission
In the first instance, I have taken this response as a very instructive one, most especially when the entire African communities are deeply trapped in the carbon market crises; railroading Nigeria into the “fictitious capital” of the global carbon credits is a route that should be avoided, and the Nigerian climate scientists’ community should not mislead the government, and its agencies into such global crises.
As a research scientist that has been working in the interconnections of science and policy, and in exploring the political economy of the global nature markets and the international climate finance schemes, I feel the utmost concern to make these clarifications with evidence-based examples and case studies from various carbon market crises across both African countries and Europe.
Scholars, policy makers and governments across the world have generally agreed that carbon emitters should be held accountable for the climate crises their greed of exploitation has caused humanity, but then the persistent problem remains the fact that these polluters are not in any way ready to take responsibility and commit to variously existing climate action agreements; one of the major one being the Paris Agreement of 2015.
Unfortunately, the Paris Agreement suffers a double jeopardy when global south and especially G20 countries refused to pay up their climate debt – a blatant implementation failure to the general agreement of financing climate action in developing countries. While the Paris Agreement was in process, and governments were negotiating for implementation strategies and commitments, the concept of “climate debt” emerges. This is the total cost of carbon dioxide emissions imposed on the global economy. In negotiating for the total climate debt, about 131 countries out of the 190 countries that are signatories to the Paris Agreement agreed to a projected sharing mechanism of the total estimated cost of damage caused by carbon emissions, which is measured in economic damage per ton of carbon emissions.
Going by this arrangement, the size of each country’s climate debt was measured by the size of its economy, how the country uses fossil fuels to generate carbon emissions, composition of its energy mix, and its overall environmental impacts. As of 2020, the International Monetary Fund in its publication confirmed that the global south as led by countries such as USA, China, India, Japan, and the European Union has exceeded by far the amount of climate debt earmarked for them, while countries in the global north, the developing countries of course, could not even use up to 50% of their climate debt.
Therefore, these countries in the global south need to pay about $20 trillion of their climate debt excesses to developing countries in terms of climate finance and support climate actions in developing countries. This climate debt arrangement is not aid, not a grant, it was the collective agreement by these 131 countries following the Paris Agreement of 2015.
How then do we arrive at the juncture of carbon market instead of pursuing the global north to pay up their climate debt commitment? To be more holistic about the veracity of the carbon market, we need to patiently trace it to the genesis of cap-and-trade regulations of 1977 in the USA. In history, the USA was the first to establish a “Cap and Trade” regulation to govern carbon emission regulations and force polluters to pay for their carbon emissions. Unfortunately, eight years after the institutionalisation of the USA cap and trade regulations, carbon emissions increased sporadically, and this necessitated one of the reasons for the Kyoto Protocol of 1997.
With the results of the Kyoto Protocol, the earlier arrangement of cap and trade in the USA became institutionalised and adopted by other countries. However, these was further complicated with the unstable price of carbon and commercialisation of pollutions which was inefficiently implemented. Though regulations are constituted to guide the cap-and-trade market, carbon leakage thwarted the regulations.
Despite increased regulations and enforcement of strict deterrent, carbon emissions from companies keep going uncontrollably. In advancement of this, the European Union between 2012 and 2015 also instituted an Emission Trade System (ETS) which was similar to USA cap-and-trade regulations. As is the usual character of big businesses and multinationals, the EU’s ETS regulation suffered some setbacks in not less than five years of entry into force; companies were shifting their base of production to jurisdictions of less carbon price or no regulations at all. As a result, the EU introduced carbon border control which checkmated carbon price differences by putting an extra tariff on all goods imported to the EU.
With this new regulation, goods and products entering the EU from areas of no carbon emission control are liable to face additional tariff called “carbon tax”. The EU further places strict regulations to protect carbon prices but amid this strict policy on price regulation, carbon price nosedived from 60 Euros in 2019 to less than 20 Euros in 2023. Currently, the EU has substituted the ETS with a brand-new EU Green Deal. Let us keenly observed that from the gradual collapse of cap-and-trade in the USA to the natural death of the EU Emission Trade System, the carbon market crises continue to deepen.
The collapse of the cap-and-trade and the Emission Trading system did not only prove the failure of the financialisation of environmental pollution, it also testified to the fact that a fictious capital cannot be reinvented in the control of carbon emissions. The winners of this carbon market crises remain the polluters and their financial brokers – we have seen this in USA between 1977 and 1997, and in the EU between 2012 and 2023. What therefore is new in the re-emergence of carbon market in the Post Paris Agreement era?
The carbon market system has been divided into compliance carbon market and the voluntary carbon market. In the compliance carbon market, the government already placed a regulation on the amount of carbon and fossil fuels to be emitted by a company, and such companies operating within that jurisdiction must not go beyond the cap or limit. But in the voluntary carbon market, there is no regulation. Companies are free to emit as much as they can. Unfortunately, African countries have been categorised for the voluntary carbon market scheme while developed countries that are holding back huge amount of climate debt are now categorised as compliance carbon market.
As a result, companies operating in the global north – across developed countries – can come to African countries to offset their carbon emissions by buying a plantation or a forested area. How can we scientifically prove that a plantation in Edo State, Nigeria, can offset carbon emission of a company operating in Europe or in America? What pricing mechanisms has the UNN- REPRC established that confirms that Nigeria’s carbon market will be worth $2 billion by 2030?
Generally, scientists have criticised the entire idea of carbon market. While some have also praised the carbon market as a good economic strategy to conserve and protect the environment, the Interpol has as well recognised the scheme as “the next global white-collar crime”.
In the words of Liz Mwangi (2023) of the University of Cape Town and Waring, a senior lecturer of climate change at the Imperial College, London, “there can never be enough trees and forest in the world to offset carbon emissions” (with some emphasis added). The truth in Prof Waring’s comments, and that of Liz Mwangi can be justified by the current position of Nigeria’s forest cover.
Quoting from the World Bank’s development data indicators, Nigeria’s total forest area was reported at 213,004 sq.km in 2022, which was about 23.39% of land area and of which our total agricultural land stood at 76.6% of land area. Due to rapid industrial development, unregulated real estate activities, Nigeria’s total forest cover rapidly change and make us lost about 47.5% forest cover.
In the midst of this, it is noteworthy that Nigeria’s agricultural development has also suffered some setbacks due to government poor funding and unregulated agricultural sector. This is seen in the large number of small holder farmers that dominated the country’s food production chain. Currently, about 80% of Nigeria’s agricultural food products are produced by over 90% of small holder farmers who operates from their local communities and rural areas across the country, still with crude implements and agricultural tools.
A national carbon market project will therefore mean displacing this large number of small holder farmers and increasing food insecurity in the country, hence poverty as well will skyrocket while carbon credit moguls and their financial brokers smile to the bank.
To further complicate the global climate crisis is the mass extinction of world biodiversity. In 2023, the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in its global biodiversity assessment report confirmed that about 1 million species are currently in danger of extinction. Out of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2024 confirmed about 100 species of this flora and fauna to be lost are in Nigeria.
Citing Liz Mwangi (2023) verbatim, “researchers at the University of California Berkeley’s Carbon Trading Project have further established that the current system of generating rainforest protection carbon credits is not fit for purpose and is only open to exploitation”. Other researchers have warned that “credit credibility seriously threatens forests”.
In reality, making Nigeria forests and lands available for carbon market is nothing but making indigenous lands and local communities sacrifice to carbon polluters from the global north. How can Nigeria ecological spaces and rich biodiversity resources be a tool for carbon offsetting to polluters whose companies operate in Europe and America? In answering this question, I refer to Davies (2022) when he described carbon market scheme as “a kind of violence that occurs gradually” a delayed destruction that is scattered across time and space, and which is not usually seen by violence by the exploiters and landgrabbers.
While this violence of carbon markets tends to expose the vulnerability of our natural resources, and the ecosystems of local communities, it further complicates the circumstances by fueling social conflicts, threatening livelihoods of local communities and increasing social pressures, including displacing an entire people from their source of survival. This example is typical of the aboriginal rural communities in Edo State where Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sakponba Rainforest Reserve covering over 2,000 hectares were lost to French companies because of an oil palm plantation. The Okpamakhin local communities of the Owan rainforest zone earlier this year protested the land grabbing gestapo which carbon market schemes have imposed on them.
As a matter of consensus, various scholars and researchers across Africa have established the copious crises inherent in the carbon market scheme. Therefore, we all have the responsibility not to see the carbon market scheme as a form of compensation from the global north. What is necessary and should be the focus of scientists and policy makers across the African countries are the questions surrounding the climate debt which global north still refused to honour.
In simpler terms, we can draw another evidence of the carbon market crises from Liberia, Kenya and Tanzania. In Liberia, just after the African Climate Change Summit in 2023, an Emirati company signed a deal with the Liberia government to concede 10% of his territory for a carbon offset project. Through the deal, the Emirati company, being one of the global oil and gas producers in the United Arab Emirates, is projected to offset its carbon emissions and also sell carbon credits to other polluters by harvesting carbon credits that would have been conserved and protected through the one million hectares of forest that has been acquired in Liberia.
In addition, we also have similar arrangements in Kenya, where thousands of hectares of local forests were concessioned under a lease arrangement with the government for carbon credits harvesting. The Kenya carbon market scheme has displaced about 1,000 indigenous communities. Across these scenarios, indigenous peoples and local community habitats were displaced and their land taken away from them for the purpose of carbon credits – a similar scenario that the aboriginal local communities are currently facing in Edo State.
Without going into much details of the African Carbon Market Initiative and the characteristics of its Steering Committee, it is clear that the carbon market scheme in Nigeria will further plunge local communities, and indigenous peoples into climate change chaos; exacerbate urban vulnerabilities, cause more displacements of people, increase climate injustice, and continue to deepen socio-economic disparities between the urban settlers and the poor settlers in rural communities.
No doubt, climate change does not exist in vacuum; and that is why it is a global issue. In addition, we have all been able to agree, without any iota of doubt or disagreement, that carbon emissions from developed countries in the global north are the primary cause of the world’s rising temperatures. This is a crisis that has put the global south countries at the receiving point. This fact has been acknowledged and accepted by various scientific bodies and epistemic communities in the climate science research space.
Rights to ecological spaces of indigenous communities is essential. Carbon trading threatens these rights, escalates food insecurity, and increase poverty of small holder farmers as they tend to cultivate carbon credit plantations and maintain it for the benefits of polluters who after harvesting their “grown carbon credits” share profits and dividends among financial brokers and project implementation agencies.
Economically, the projected $2 billion by 2030 of UNN-RERPC is far below the needed cost of climate action in Nigeria; and, can’t pay Nigeria’s total external debt to international financial organisations. Therefore, the projected $2 billion, aside being fictitious, is already consumed by Nigeria’s foreign debt. Nigeria’s total external debt in 2024 stood at N56. 02 trillion ($42.12 billion), plus a total domestic debt of N65. 65 trillion ($49.35 billion). How commensurate is the projected $2 billion carbon market by 2030?
The Nigeria climate change policy in all sincerity has provided alternative measures for mobilising climate finance. Accordingly, the national policy on climate action provided alternative measures of mobilsing $250 million worth of Green Bonds to “support national climate finance initiatives” and implement climate actions across multi-sectoral provisions including key areas such as environment, agriculture, power and energy efficiency, and transportation.
The mobilisation of $250 million worth of Green Bonds may appear little but then it is worth a productive start compared to subjecting our rapidly degrading forest cover to a fictitious carbon credit that, also, further increases socio-economic pressures of small holder famers.
This exactly I think the Nigerian scientific community should engage with and interrogate the interfaces between the national climate policy and use of available scientific evidence across the country to drive positive climate actions across board, without putting ourselves into the climate trap of the crises-ridden carbon market.
By Olusegun Michael Ogundele
Ogundele is a research scientist working on the interconnections of conservation science, and the science-policy interface in environmental governance. He is a member of the Nigerian Environmental Society, and the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney, Australia. He currently writes from the University of Pannonia Centre for Circular Economy, Hungary. He can be reached at segunogundele@hotmail.com
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has agreed on the outlines of the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) during its 62nd Plenary session, which concluded on Saturday, February 1, 2025, in Hangzhou, China.
The opening of the 62nd session of the IPCC in Hangzhou, China. Photo credit: IISD-ENB / Anastasia Rodopoulou
The Panel also approved IPCC’s overall budget for 2025.
“Despite the heavy agenda, thanks to the Panel’s ability to build and achieve multilateral consensus, and the tireless work of the IPCC’s scientific Bureau, we now have clarity on the scope of the scientific content. This allows us to put together author teams and kick start our work on the Seventh Assessment Report.” said IPCC Chair, Jim Skea.
From here, governments, observer organisations and IPCC Bureau members will nominate experts to serve as authors.
The Panel’s agreement concludes the initial phase of defining critically important scientific content for the Seventh Assessment Report.
The three Working Group contributions assess the physical science basis of climate change; impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and mitigation of climate change.
The Panel will consider the outline of the Synthesis Report – the fourth and final instalment of the Seventh Assessment Report – at a later date. The Synthesis Report will integrate the contributions of the three Working Groups and the Special Report produced during the seventh cycle.
It will be released in the second half of 2029 in line with the Panel’s decision from January 2024.
Comprehensive scientific assessment reports are published every five to seven years. The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, which formally began in July 2023 with the elections of the new IPCC and Task Force Bureaus at the IPCC’s Plenary Session in Nairobi.
At its first Plenary Session in the seventh assessment cycle – the 60th Plenary Session in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2024 – the Panel agreed to produce in this cycle the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), namely the Working Group I report on the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and the Working Group III report on Mitigation of Climate Change.
The Synthesis Report of the Seventh Assessment Report will be produced after the completion of the Working Group reports and released by late 2029.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority (NMDPRA) is set to embark on a public campaign to educate the public on the dangers of scooping petroleum products from falling tankers.
Petrol tanker accident
Mrs. Nsima Isong, Acting Coordinator of NMDPRA, made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ meeting in Eket Field Office, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday, February 28, 2025.
She said the campaign was aimed at preventing the likelihood of an incident and ensure public safety.
According to her, the campaign will be done in conjunction with other agencies and stakeholders in the state.
Isong said the essence of the meeting was aimed to sensitise stakeholders on the resolutions reached and ensure a seamless implementation.
She said that NMDPRA would implement regular training and retraining of truck drivers and motor boys by the second quarter of 2025.
The acting coordinator said the measure would help to equip drivers with the necessary skills and knowledge to operate safely.
Isong noted that NMDPRA would collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in carrying out the campaign.
According to her, the FRSC will conduct regular checks to ensure that drivers are not fatigued or driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
Isong explained that NMDPRA would introduce colour coding for trucks starting from April 1, 2025, to enhance visibility.
“The measure will facilitate easy identification of compliant tankers and ensure that non-compliant tankers are sanctioned,” she said.
She said that tankers carrying petroleum products exceeding 60,000 litres would be prohibited from plying Nigerian roads with effect from Saturday, March 1.
“This restriction aims to reduce the risk of accidents and spills associated with overloaded tankers,” she said.
She said that NMDPRA would hold regular meetings with stakeholders to review progress and address challenges.
She said the meetings would provide a platform for feedback, suggestions, and collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the new resolution.
According to her, the introduction of these resolution marks a significant step towards enhancing safety and reducing tanker accidents on Nigerian roads.
Isong said that NMDPRA aimed to protect lives, prevent environmental pollution, and promote a safer and more responsible petroleum transportation industry.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday, February 28, signed the N54.99 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill into law at the State House, Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu
The bill, which was passed by the National Assembly on Feb. 13, after increasing it from the initial N49.7 trillion submitted by President Tinubu, was signed in a brief ceremony in the President’s office.
The 2025 Appropriation Act represents a 99.96 per cent increase from the 2024 Budget of N27.5 trillion.
The 2025 budget has a total expenditure component of ₦54.99 trillion, statutory transfers of ₦3.65 trillion and recurrent (Non-Debt) expenditure of ₦13.64 trillion.
The capital expenditure component is ₦23.96 trillion, debt servicing of ₦14.32 trillion and deficit-to-GDP Ratio of 1.52 per cent.
Sen. Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate and other leaders of the National Assembly witnessed the signing of the budget.
President Bola Tinubu says the N54.99 trillion 2025 budget signed into law will empower Nigerians and build a resilient future.
The President said this after signing the budget in a brief ceremony witnessed by Sen. Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, and other leaders of the National Assembly at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“We reaffirm our commitment to securing the future, rebuilding prosperity and ensuring that every Nigerian shares in the dividends of governance.
“The past year tested our resolve but through the economic discipline and strategic reforms, we achieved what many deemed impossible.
“There is no dust in our faces and there are no tears on our cheeks. We worked together as brothers and sisters collaboratively.
“After the initial turbulence, and the take-off was very cloudy and uncertain; today, we see light at the end of the tunnel,” said the President.
He said there were signs of progress in the country, with GDP growth rebounding to 3.86 per cent and revenue increasing to N21.63 trillion.
The President said the Naira rebounded reflecting the resilience of Nigerians: “We have reduced the deficit significantly from N6.2 in 2003 to N4.217 per cent.
“The forex reform is working in the foreign exchange market. The minimum wage was raised and we are meeting all obligations.
“I want to thank the National Assembly; everyone of them whether they participated in the review or not, we are building the same country.”
Tinubu said the collaboration between the executive and legislature was making a difference, and that he was determined to move the country forward.
“Today, I can smile that you have given the hope to our people. We can only promise to work harder,” Tinubu said.
The landmark COP28 UAE consensus marked a turning point in the global energy transition, committing to triple installed renewable energy capacity to 11.2 terawatts and double the global rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
Off-grid energy in Africa
Off-grid renewables are integral to this goal, as they not only contribute to renewable energy capacity and enhance energy efficiency at the local level but are also uniquely positioned to expand electricity access and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in rural and remote communities.
While the number of people that lack access to electricity dropped from 1 billion in 2014 to 685 million in 2022, the gains in global electricity access has almost flat-lined since 2018, particularly in remote and rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. This has led the region to now account for 83% of the global access deficit, a concerning increase from 50% in 2010.
This is where off-grid renewables can play a significant role. Off-grid renewable energy solutions like solar home systems (SHS) and mini-grids have emerged as lifelines for remote, last-mile communities, bringing electricity access to low-income households in underserved areas. These systems have enabled essential services and powering rural economies, benefiting 155 million people in 2023.
Apart from driving transformative progress in reducing energy poverty (SDG7), the off-grid renewable sub-sector supports climate mitigation and adaptation actions (SDG13), while generating cross-cutting benefits across sectors. For example, solar-powered irrigation and processing boost agricultural productivity, ensuring food security (SDG2). These systems also empower women through entrepreneurship, fostering gender equity (SDG5) and enabling sustained, inclusive economic growth through income-generating activities (SDG8), thereby alleviating poverty (SDG1).
Furthermore, off-grid renewable power improves healthcare delivery (SDG3) by enabling reliable electricity for health facilities lighting, vaccine refrigeration, and life-saving medical equipment. Off-grid solutions also increase access to clean water and sanitation (SDG6). With lighting and electricity, students in remote areas can extend their studying hours. They can also access digital learning and improve their education quality (SDG4) with the support of sustainable power.
Still, critical challenges remain, including policy inconsistencies, regulatory bottlenecks, limited investments, and underdeveloped local supply chains. To triple off-grid renewables capacity from the 2023 baseline to a projected 38.7 gigawatts by 2030, governments and other stakeholders must prioritise the following actions:
Implement supportive policies and regulations that create an enabling environment for off-grid solutions (e.g. streamline permitting and licensing, market access, tariffs).
Integrate off-grid renewables into national and regional electrification strategies and plans.
Promote cross-sector linkages to maximise the impact of off-grid solutions on education, healthcare, and productive uses (agriculture, small-scale industries etc.)
Reinforce institutional and local capacity building and entrepreneurship to develop a skilled workforce and create sustainable markets through public-private partnerships.
Drive increased investments and improve affordability and accessibility by implementing innovative financing mechanisms, incentives (e.g. duty exemption), and investment risks mitigation, using delivery models tuned to technology and adapted to end-users’ needs.
Support development of local manufacturing and assembling supply chains, and introduce quality standards.
Given the role they play in climate and development goals in rural areas, off-grid renewables deployment efforts in developing countries should be accelerated, underpinned by strong international cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships, which the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says it has been advocating for.
In support of the scale-up of off-grid renewables, IRENA discloses that it provides technical platforms, establishes multilateral partnerships, and facilitates knowledge-sharing, including through its flagship biennial International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC).
UN Climate Change’s Fellowship Programme equips mid-career professionals from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with hands-on experience and specialised training. Thanks to new funding from Portugal and Italy, more professionals can now contribute to global climate action while enhancing their expertise.
Fellows at a UN Climate Change’s Fellowship Programme
Portugal’s funding specifically supports professionals from Portuguese-speaking SIDS and LDCs to work in the secretariat’s Transparency Division, while Italy’s contribution funds fellowship opportunities in the Means of Implementation and Adaptation divisions.
Officially known as the Capacity Award Programme to Advance Capabilities and Institutional Training in One Year (CAPACITY), the fellowship enables mid-career professionals already working in government roles within SIDS or LDCs to gain first-hand experience at UN Climate Change in Bonn, Germany, for up to two years.
Candidates are selected with the understanding that their development and training will strengthen their home organisations’ capacity to address climate challenges.
“The CAPACITY Fellowship Programme is an opportunity to bridge the gap between global policy and local realities. One that empowers mid-career professionals to navigate complex political landscapes and bring their unique voices to global climate action,” said Alejandro Kilpatrick, Means of Implementation Manager at UN Climate Change. “The programme not only develops the expertise and knowledge of professionals from LDCs and SIDS, but their distinct perspectives also make a meaningful contribution to our work.”
The initiative serves three core purposes: support innovative and analytical work on climate change within the framework of sustainable development, build a global network of creative experts tackling climate issues, and nurture the leadership potential of promising professionals in their respective fields.
Former fellows highlight the programme’s transformative impact. Marie Stephania Perrine, who worked in the Means of Implementation Division from 2023 to 2025, describes the fellowship as “a significant milestone in my career, allowing me to contribute meaningfully to global climate action while honing my skills.”
Milan Dhungana, a fellow in the Transparency Division from 2023 to 2025, noted: “The fellowship was an enriching experience that provided invaluable learning opportunities. The skills and insights gained during this fellowship will be instrumental in advancing climate transparency actions in my home country.”
Fellow participants gain practical experience, including supporting the work of constituted bodies, engaging in intergovernmental processes, drafting reports, organizing meetings and events, and representing UN Climate Change at high-level engagements.
Having served in the Means of Implementation Division from 2023 to 2025, Yiaser Arafat Rubel has the following advice for future fellows: “Share your knowledge and experience with your fellow cohort. This significantly enhances collective knowledge, offers diverse perspectives, and fosters a deeper understanding of the work being undertaken.”
The Federal Government says the bridge connecting continents, linking global investors with Africa’s boundless energy potential has been strengthened by the 2025 Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES).
Amb. Nicholas Ella, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources
Amb. Nicholas Ella, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, said this on Thursday, February 27, in Abuja at the closing of the 8th edition of NIES, which opened on Monday, February 24.
According to him, partnerships forged, and investments committed during the is estimated at more than $2.5 billion.
This Ella said was a testament to the boundless opportunities that abound in the industry.
Ella said the dedication to advancing technology, innovation, and sustainable practices had made the summit a hub of opportunities and growth.
“Over the past few days, we have witnessed a convergence of brilliant minds, groundbreaking ideas, and transformative discussions that have elevated this summit beyond expectations.
“We have strengthened the bridge connecting continents, linking global investors with Africa’s boundless energy potential.
“This summit has been a remarkable testament to the power of collaboration, dialogue, and shared vision,” he said.
The permanent secretary said the deliberations had reflected on the challenges and laid actionable pathways for Africa’s energy transformation, investment acceleration, and technology-driven growth.
He said the Federal Government’s dedication to positioning Nigeria as a leading energy hub had been a critical enabler for events like NIES and the broader growth of Africa’s energy landscape.
Ella, while appreciating President Bola Tinubu, thanked the Ministers of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil & Gas) – Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri and Ekperikpe Ekpo, for their strategic foresight and tireless efforts in ensuring the success of the summit.
“Your leadership has been instrumental in shaping the dialogues that have transpired here and in championing Nigeria’s pivotal role in the global energy transition.
“The thought-provoking insights and expertise of participants have illuminated the pathways to sustainable energy development, highlighted emerging oil, gas, renewables, and hydrogen opportunities and investments.
“The discussions on energy transition, decarbonisation, upstream investments, refining capacity, and hydrogen development will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the future of Africa’s energy sector.
“Our international and local partners, sponsors, and exhibitors receive special gratitude.
“Your confidence in Nigeria’s energy potential and Africa’s future is truly inspiring,” he said.
The theme of the summit was “Bridging Continents: Connecting Investors Worldwide with Africa’s Energy Potential”.
With more than 5,000 delegates from 45 countries and an impressive 4,182 square meters of cutting-edge exhibitions, NIES 2025 has no doubt reaffirmed its position as Africa’s foremost energy platform.
