The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing essential policies addressing climate change, with a focus on fostering a greener economy. This announcement was made by Ismaila Abubakar, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, during a stakeholder’s workshop on a Just and Gender-Inclusive Transition (JGIT) held in Abuja.
Nigeria, as a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, is taking significant steps to ensure the implementation of necessary policies for climate action. Abubakar emphasized the government’s commitment to achieving a just green transition economy, wherein the emphasis is on creating job opportunities rather than job losses.
“The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in line with its mandate, is tasked with ensuring a just transition. This is whereby more job opportunities are created instead of job losses as the federal government gears towards a greener economy. This is why the ministry, in the spirit of partnership, is being supported by ICAT to drive this process through the Nigeria-ICAT project,” stated Mr. Abubakar.
The workshop, organized in collaboration with the Initiatives for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT), aims to review existing JGIT definitions, concepts, and the overall approach in Nigeria. ICAT has been instrumental in supporting Nigeria to develop an MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) institutional arrangement, with a specific focus on priorities such as oil and gas, transport, and the development of MRV indicators and tools to track the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Yerima Tarfa, Team Lead for the Nigeria ICAT JGIT project implementation, highlighted the project’s objective, which is to ensure tripartite cooperation on climate action as provided by the Paris Agreement.
Henning Wuester, Director of ICAT, affirmed ICAT’s commitment to partnering with the Nigerian government to achieve its climate change goals, emphasizing the need to transition to a net-zero carbon emission in line with the Paris Agreement.
Vanessa Phala, Country Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), stressed the importance of championing innovation as the world moves towards a green economy. She highlighted the imperative for all stakeholders to address climate change and work towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement by transitioning to a net-zero carbon emission.
As Nigeria continues its efforts towards sustainable development, this reaffirmation by the Federal Government signals a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and a greener future.
Credit: NAN
