The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has, again, set the pace in the country’s energy transition agenda, championing a coordinated national approach to Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and carbon-finance reforms. 
 
Speaking at the ongoing 30th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30 UNFCCC) side event entitled ‘Strengthening MRV Systems and Unlocking Carbon Finance for Nigeria’s Energy Transition’, Head of Sustainability at NNPCL, Chinedu Igwe, affirmed the company’s commitment to driving inter-agency alignment and operationalising MRV systems as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s carbon governance framework.
 
The national oil company played a central role as government agencies, CarbonAi and private-sector partners gathered at the session, convened by the Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria Ltd/Gte (GACN), to chart a unified pathway for Nigeria’s climate commitments.
 
Igwe called for coordinated action towards accelerating opportunities for sustainable investment and methane-abatement initiatives.
 
With Nigeria sitting on some of Africa’s largest natural gas reserves, NNPCL has made gas a central pillar of its energy-transition strategy, positioning gas as a “transition fuel” while expanding infrastructure to serve both domestic demand and exports. 
 
The broader context for Nigeria’s climate ambition is guided by its National Energy Transition Plan (ETP), which was officially approved by the Federal Government. Under the plan, Nigeria aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2060, a goal that includes reducing emissions in power, oil and gas, transport, industry and cooking sectors. To achieve this, the government estimates that over $410 billion in additional investment will be needed between 2021 and 2060, much of which is expected from private-sector climate finance. 
  
At COP30, the approval of a National Carbon Market Framework by President Bola Tinubu further underscored Nigeria’s ambition to scale up its participation in global carbon markets. 
 
Also, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations, Olamide Fagbuji, emphasised collaboration, harping on the importance of harmonising MRV data flows, establishing clear carbon-market governance structures and advancing joint implementation pathways.
 
Discussions at the forum highlighted NNPCL’s role in convening stakeholders and setting the pace for Nigeria’s energy transition.
 
The session concluded with a unified message: “Nigeria must move beyond siloed initiatives to a coordinated national approach, anchored by NNPCL’s leadership, to operationalise MRV, strengthen carbon governance and deliver on climate commitments post-COP30.”