Experts have said that Nigeria will need to implement what they called the “three Cs solution” – capacity, capability and competence (CCC) – to enhance the nation’s readiness and make it eligible for international funding to address its climate challenges.
Their statement is predicated on the idea that putting the three Cs strategy into practice would provide a strong base for a community of partners that would help in resolving the climate-related problems hindering the country’s socioeconomic development.
Speaking at a two-day validation of the coordinated mechanism (CM) and capacity-building workshop held in Abuja by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) in partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and NIRSAL PLC, the stakeholders commended the organisers for putting together the programme, particularly because it has improved their knowledge on how they can access climate finance to carry out various projects across the country.
“I will build on those three Cs because, with them, you can achieve everything,” Dr. Osita Aniemeka, a director with Shine Bridge Global, Nigeria, responded when asked what he would do differently if in the position to help solve Nigeria’s climate crisis.
This is significant, he explained, because, instead of wasting time, this knowledge will guide the country on its direction, how to reach its goals, and what it needs to achieve.
Although it may appear impossible from the outside, the expert assured that Nigeria won’t have any issues once the country starts doing that, builds the foundation for success, and sustains it through commitment. That commitment, which he contends must come from the three tiers – “national, subnational, and the rest of us” – is what will help the nation sustain its achievements for as long as it should.
He cited the failure in the Niger Delta region to highlight a significant knowledge gap, which he claimed has hindered Nigeria’s ability to connect environmental concerns with development.
“And that knowledge gap that we talk about all the time is what will take us to where we should be, show us how to get there, and what to achieve,” Aniemeka said in response to a previous question about what he would do differently if in the position to bridge that divide.
In the same vein, Comrade Eche Asuzu, National Coordinator of Climate Change for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), underscored the importance of prioritising capacity building, retraining, and reskilling of the workforce if Nigeria truly wants to access climate finance from organisations such as the GCF.
He was therefore delighted that the workshop had met two of GCF’s thematic goals, which are inclusivity and transparency through stakeholder engagement. It was also a vital step toward ensuring Nigeria’s readiness to access and manage climate finance effectively.
According to him, “The whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to Nigeria’s programme idealisation on climate finance is primed at preparing Nigeria to meet the tough conditions for accessing the GCF.”
How these problems can be resolved continues to cause controversy inside the government, which is why six series of events, including the CM validation meeting, have been set aside to address the issue.
Mrs. Bennie Ejiofor, an officer in the Climate Finance Desk at the NCCC, revealed that before the establishment of the CM, individuals typically submitted proposals to the Council, many of which did not come to fruition.
However, the MC has set a framework for coordination among relevant stakeholders, which, according to her, will ensure that when a project arises, it is not just one individual or organisation that conducts the review; instead, those who matter examine it and provide input that enriches the proposal so that it becomes bankable.
“We are now having a principle, kind of, with this mechanism to help us produce more bankable projects and attract more global funds – that is basically the essence.”
There is no doubt that Nigeria faces a significant knowledge deficit in terms of accessing global funding to meet its climate demands, but Samira Richards-Agulu, a representative of NIRSAL PLC at the event, acknowledged that the validation of the CM and capacity building for MDAs had established the groundwork for a thousand-mile journey.
She also emphasised that in order to sustain this journey, the NCCC, NIRSAL, donor agencies, NGOs, and financial institutions must streamline the MC to develop viable climate-resilient projects and ensure the effective mobilisation and management of climate financing. This will promote transparency, inclusiveness, and the readiness to scale climate-smart initiatives for national benefits.
By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja