The Nigerian minister of foreign of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to taking holistic actions against climate change in Nigeria, saying that his country is in the active phase of addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change.
Speaking on the sideline of the COP28 summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Mr. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said Nigeria has the most ambitious and realistic goals in its efforts to fight climate change.
“Nigeria has ratified its commitments through a Climate Change Act, and a National Council on Climate Change (NCCC). Through these, Nigeria set ambitious, albeit realistic goals, and I am proud to state that we have hit the ground running, transforming our commitments into tangible climate action,” he said.
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communication, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Nigeria would deploy 100 electric buses next with a plan to increase the number to 1000 vehicles next year. According to the minister, Nigeria aims to become the first country in Africa with the largest fleet of electric vehicles on the continent.
“This initiative would reduce (greenhouse) emissions, and indicate my administration’s commitment to catalyzing the market for green project deployments, job creation, and industrialization across critical sectors,” the statement added.
The minister also acknowledged that vulnerable communities are susceptible to the impacts of climate change not in Nigeria but also across the world, emphasizing the importance of upholding the Paris Agreement which would see signatories setting transparent climate targets.
Nigeria, according to the foreign minister, is still committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
Ambassador Tuggar who champions the 4D foreign policies priorities that include development, calls on the international communities to set aside political differences and team up with a view to achieving “meaningful and immediate climate solutions.”