The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has called for stronger partnerships and greater access to finance for states, regions and subnational governments to accelerate climate action and deliver a just transition.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call while addressing Heads of State and Government at the United Nations High-level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting, opened by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, focused on the urgent need to accelerate the energy transition, strengthen adaptation and mobilise climate finance.

Governor Sanwo-Olu addressed the meeting as a representative of the Under2 Coalition, the global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate action, of which Lagos is a member. For Lagos, membership of the Under2 Coalition provides an opportunity to exchange practical solutions and build partnerships with jurisdictions around the world, including California, while bringing the experience and perspective of one of Africa’s largest and most dynamic economies to the global climate conversation.

“For Lagos, climate action is about turning ambition into opportunity: protecting our people, strengthening our economy and building a more resilient and prosperous state for generations to come. Climate action is not separate from development. It is central to how we build our future,” the Governor said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu highlighted Lagos’ efforts to address the climate challenges associated with its rapid urban growth, including the transition towards cleaner transport and efforts to transform the more than 5,000 tonnes of solid waste generated daily into economic value through recycling, circular economy approaches and clean energy.

“These are not abstract climate policies. They are decisions that can create jobs, improve services, strengthen resilience and make everyday life better for millions of people,” he said.

The Governor also emphasised the importance of collaboration among states and regions, noting that subnational governments are responsible for a significant share of climate implementation globally.

Standing alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Governor said Lagos’ participation in the Under2 Coalition creates opportunities to learn from other jurisdictions while sharing its own experience. He also called for greater access to affordable, long-term finance to enable subnational governments to translate climate plans into projects and infrastructure.

“States and regions need access to affordable, long-term finance that can help turn strong plans into infrastructure on the ground. We need development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to see the opportunity in climate investment in emerging markets. Because the opportunity is enormous.

“Our message from Lagos is simple: states, regions and subnational governments are ready to deliver. We have ambition. We have the responsibility. And increasingly, we have the solutions. Now we need to build the partnerships and mobilise the investment that will allow us to deliver them at scale,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu’s intervention comes as Lagos advances the next phase of its climate strategy through the Office of Climate Change and Circular Economy (OCCE).

Led by the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi, the Office of Climate Change and Circular Economy (OCCE) is working to translate the State’s climate priorities under its State-Determined Contributions (SDCs) Framework into investable projects and practical pathways for implementation.

She said: “The SDC Framework gives us the policy direction, but policy ambition alone does not move capital. Our focus now is on building the bridge between climate ambition and investment — developing investable opportunities, strengthening the data and measurement systems around them and creating pathways for investors, financial institutions, development finance institutions and businesses to participate.”

Lagos State is developing a Lagos Climate Finance and Investment Platform to connect its climate priorities with capital, technology, financial institutions and implementation partners, with a focus on areas including climate finance, deal-making, Article 6 and climate assets, digital measurement and verification, and international partnerships.

The Governor’s UNGA engagement forms part of Lagos’ broader international climate programme ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, where the State intends to present its investment proposition and engage investors, development finance institutions, financial institutions, project developers and technology partners.