The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed that Nigeria achieved 98 per cent of her goals under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Support Programme.
The team head of the environment and climate change (ECC) unit of the UNDP Nigeria, Mr. Muyiwa Odele, revealed this during the meeting of the UNDP-NDC support programme steering committee in Abuja, saying the feat was achieved with direct political leadership and technical input of the committee, with support from brother stakeholders from civil society organisations, young people’s groups, private sector, women and the academia.
“The journey of the NDC support programme started about two, three years ago. When we started, our vision was to secure broader participation, include major stakeholders, appreciating what the NDC is about but also creating a very vital role for them to be able to co-implement and co-operationalise the NDC in different sectors.
“We had wanted to showcase to the private sector and business sectors the opportunities inherent in embracing the new trend which is climate finance, climate-friendly businesses and climate-oriented technologies. Also, we wanted to bring aboard the women who bear the brunt of climate change – not just in Nigeria but globally – to discuss ways to find a lasting solution to the issue of climate change and we’ve come a long way. In some sense, today is a day to celebrate,” he said.
Odele further said the NDC support programme also provided a huge platform, an opportunity to contribute to the revised National Climate Change Response Policy approved last year and for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of the Gender in the Climate Change Action, as well as the Forestry Policy.
“I think we all have a lot to be proud of. I am just excited by the fact that, now, you have been able through this project to create a bigger platform for donors and other stakeholders to become part of the NDC process in Nigeria.
“Congratulations to you all and the government of Nigeria especially on the successful revision and submission of Nigeria’s NDC. This means that, in a sense, our work is just starting,” he added.
Earlier in her welcome remark, the acting director, department of climate change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Halima Bawa-Bwari, explained that the NDC Support Programme launched at the COP 23 in November 2017, funded by the European Union and the governments of Germany and Spain, would come to an end in December 2021.
She added that the steering committee meeting was to evaluate the programme outputs as reflected in the work plan, to ensure that deliverables are in line with the objectives of the programme.
In his goodwill message, the project officer, energy, EU Delegates to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Godfrey Ogbemudia, said the EU was happy to be a part of the process, adding it would continue to support the nation to achieve her NDCs.
“So far, we are very happy with the output we have received and we are glad to see that Nigeria has stepped up her commitment and we will continue to support the way we use all the available instruments that we have within our cooperation activity here in Nigeria,” he stated.
In his presentation, the national coordinator of the Nigeria-UNDP NDC Support Programme, Mr. Huzi Mshelia, said the programme worked directly with 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
He said the programme helps countries enhance their capacities for NDC implementation, integrated governance, financing, public-private collaboration and data and information tracking.
Listing some outputs Nigeria achieved on the project, he said a financial strategy for the NDC Sectoral Action Plan was developed, the private sector was actively engaged in the implementation of the NDC, a registry for climate change mitigation actions was created and populated and communication, visibility and socialisation of the NDC was enhanced.
In her closing remarks, the national desk officer for NDC and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV), department of climate change, Mrs. Edeh Chioma, highlighted the next steps for committee members, urging members to be ready to contribute their time and resources to make sure Nigeria delivers on her NDC commitment.
“There is no climate action without stakeholders. We can only coordinate activities; not implement these activities. We have come a long way with you and we are glad that this programme has come to an end and we have been able to achieve all the deliverables with you. Now, it is time for the NDC implementation. The NDC sector plans are very holistic and an integral part of the decisions that we took together to make sure that Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement is achieved,” she added.
