By Dr Austine Sadiq Okoh
The National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to develop a strategic Just Transition Roadmap (JTR) for Nigeria.
The development of a JTR marks a key moment in Nigeria’s efforts to transition to a carbon-neutral future.
The signing of the Just Transition Roadmap sets the stage for a project and report that will guide Nigeria’s effort to ensure that climate and energy justice are placed at the centre of the country’s effort to transition away from fossil fuels in accordance with national and global climate goals.
The ILO’s Country Director, Vanessa Phala, remarked that the transition to a less carbon-intensive economy was unavoidable because world governments have set net zero emissions targets, which many are working hard to meet. Represented by Steven Agugua, Phala noted that failure to prepare for the future would not only jeopardise national development but would also leave workers and some vulnerable sectors stranded.
According to her, finding ways to make the transition just and equitable is the ILO’s primary strategic goal.
She said that the goal has informed ILO’s effort to develop a just transition framework for Nigeria, which is a fossil fuel-dependent economy.
She explained that the JTR is an important step towards achieving the ILO’s goal of assisting vulnerable sectors and workers in the transition to a decarbonised future.
In his remarks, the Director-General (DG) of the NCCC, Dr. Salisu Dahiru, acknowledged that Nigeria was in a tricky situation concerning climate change and the global energy transition.
Dahiru said that Nigeria’s unique challenge lie in the fact that one hand, the country is very vulnerable to climate change, and the other hand, highly depended on oil and gas as national source of income.
He said that this unique situation calls for the need to find ways to make the transition to a sustainable energy future fair to all.
The D-G noted that transiting away from fossil fuel required a thorough understanding of the risks to various sectors and articulating thoughtful paths to achieve the transition in ways that do not endanger Nigeria’s long-term prosperity.
He said it is to this end that the Commission initiated the JTR with the international organisations to ensure that the country articulates ways to ensure that green transition is fair and equitable without leaving Nigeria behind.
Dahiru expressed confidence that the Centre for Climate Change and Development at Alex Ekwueme Federal University (CCCD-AEFUNAI), which will be leading the development of the JTR, will do a good job of providing pathways for Nigeria based on national economic and socio-technical circumstances.
The DG said that Nigeria had no choice but to participate in the global decarbonisation efforts. He, however, noted that the government has a duty to participate in ways that would secure its long-term strategic interests.
He said the Federal Government, in collaboration with its international partners, recognises the importance of supporting workers, women, and people with disabilities who are likely to face greater risks because of the goal of phasing out fossil fuels.
He expressed confidence that CCCD-AEFUNAI, led by Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, a renowned Climate Policy Scholar, has the team to deliver the just transition roadmap.
In his response, Prof. Emmanuel Oladipo, a renowned Scholar and Professorial Fellow at CCCD-AEFUNAI, who led the team to the MoU signing event, expressed gratitude to the NCCC and other international partners for the opportunity to establish a just transition.
Oladipo said that establishing the framework was a crucial national endeavour in the shift to a future with reduced carbon emissions.
He pledged the commitment of the CCCD team to provide a roadmap that the country could use to plan strategies for lowering the carbon intensity of their economic activities in ways that support the sectors and populations that are vulnerable to the transition.
Oladipo added that the just transition roadmap was an opportunity to build back better and lay sound principles of equity in all transitions that leave no one behind.
Some of the other dignitaries that were present at the MoU signing ceremony included: Team Lead, Environment and Energy, UNDP Nigeria- Muyiwa Odele, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator- Mr, Mohammed Mallick Fall, National Programme Coordinator – Environment and Energy • UNIDO- Olu Yomi Banjo.
Others included, Head of the Directorate of Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation, NCCC- Michael Ivenso, Just Transition Roadmap Project Coordinator, NCCC- Jummai Vandu, Senior Research Fellow, CCCD-AEFUNAI in charge of Climate Finance- Mr Obi Ugochukwu and Senior Research Fellow in charge of Industry and Political Economy,- Dr Sadiq Okoh.
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By Dr Austine Sadiq Okoh, Senior Research Fellow at CCCD-AEFUNAI.
