The United Kingdom Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) has launched a national project aimed at strengthening private-sector capacity to address air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nigeria’s transport sector.
Tagged “Transport Climate Action: Boosting Business Leadership for Clean Air in Nigeria,” it is designed to accelerate low-carbon, inclusive economic growth by equipping companies with the tools, skills, and support needed to adopt cleaner technologies and climate-smart business models.
Speaking at the launch of the project in Enugu, the event, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, stated that the climate challenges confronting Nigeria, and Enugu in particular, demand urgent, private-sector-driven solutions.
Onyia noted that climate change impacts such as erosion, land degradation, and worsening urban air quality are already affecting livelihoods across communities in the state.
Onyia, who relied on data shared by UKPACT, said that more than 200,000 Nigerians die prematurely each year due to air pollution, with the transport sector contributing over 15 per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions.
“Enugu is not exempt from this reality,” he said, adding, “But within these challenges lie enormous opportunities, opportunities for innovation, new business models, cleaner technologies and job-creating green industries.”
He said the State Government had commenced reforms in the transport sector, including the gradual modernisation of intra-city mobility, and would continue to strengthen public-private partnerships to enhance climate resilience.
He added that the UK PACT project aligns with the state’s development priorities by supporting businesses to access climate finance, understand relevant regulations, develop climate action plans, and adopt emissions-reducing practices in line with Nigeria’s NDC 3.0 targets.
“We see opportunities here for further engagement with the private sector. This event offers us a strategic platform to strengthen partnerships, unlock finance and shape a cleaner, healthier and more resilient economic future for Enugu,” he added.
UK PACT Nigeria Lead at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Isabel Wilson, said the programme is the UK government’s flagship climate-capacity initiative, working with countries with high emissions-reduction potential.
She said the new project falls under the Climate Policy and Governance sector of UK PACT, focusing on transport because of its significant emissions burden and economic importance.
“Transport is a major source of greenhouse gases and air pollution, but it is also a vital enabler of trade and development. We hope to deliver the innovation and investment needed for cleaner transport systems that benefit health, climate and growth”, she said
She added that the project would assist Nigeria in meeting its commitments under the Paris Agreement and its long-term low-emissions development strategy.
In his presentation, Dr. Emmanuel Onwodi, Project Lead at Escher Silverman Global (ESG), described rising greenhouse gas emissions as one of Nigeria’s most urgent public health and economic concerns.
According to him, businesses are both contributors to and victims of the pollution crisis.
“The transport sector accounts for more than 15 per cent of Nigeria’s greenhouse gas emissions but remains ill-equipped to address the issues, limited technical expertise, unclear regulatory pathways and restricted access to finance for clean technologies,” he noted.
He said the UK PACT intervention would equip private companies with training, policy support and practical tools to reduce emissions while improving competitiveness.
Gari Haq, Consortium Lead from the University of York and the Stockholm Environment Institute, said cleaner transport remains one of the fastest pathways to healthier populations, a safer climate, and stronger businesses.
“We all contribute to climate change through our actions, and we are all casualties of these emissions,” he said.
“It is about acting locally while thinking globally. With tight margins and rising costs, clean transport offers a practical route to long-term sustainability.”
Haq explained that the 15-month programme would help businesses access climate finance, participate in voluntary carbon markets, develop finance-ready Climate and Clean Air Action Plans and understand regulatory frameworks such as the National Climate Change Fund.
He also noted that the project integrates principles of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion to ensure equitable climate solutions.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Finance and Stakeholder Engagement, Mr. Ibrahim Shelleng, said climate change has become a lived reality across Nigeria, from flooding in coastal cities to extreme heat in the north.
He said the private sector must play a central role in transitioning Nigeria to a cleaner, healthier and more competitive economy.
“Our industries, SMEs, financiers and innovators must drive this transition,” he said.
“This platform deepens understanding, builds capacity and strengthens collaboration. It allows us to explore clean-energy technologies, climate-smart business practices and access climate finance instruments such as carbon markets and green bonds.”
Also speaking, Dr. Bernard Obika highlighted rising urban migration, worsening air quality and global agreements such as the Paris Accord as compelling reasons for urgent action.
He said transport emissions remain a major source of pollution-related deaths in Nigeria, reiterating that limiting global warming requires rapid, far-reaching changes driven largely by the private sector.
The project is being implemented by a consortium comprising the University of York/Stockholm Environment Institute, Consulting Engineers Group (CEG), SLOCAT Partnership, ESG, and AP3 Advisory.
