FG pledges public participation in NDC revision, implementation

To curtail the grave threat posed by climate change, the Federal Ministry of Environment has committed to involving key stakeholders and the general public in the revision of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), design, and implementation of climate change policy.

Minister of State for the Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, who made this known during a webinar on “Public Participation in Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Drafting and Implementation: Experiences around the World,” said Nigeria places emphasis on the NDC as a vehicle for communicating climate change action.

The event was organised by the Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Under the current national climate change plans, known as NDC, Nigeria set an ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions unconditionally by 20per cent and conditionally by 45 per cent compared to the 2010 baseline.

Ikeazor said public participation was a necessary requirement for accommodating diverse views in the climate change decision-making process and, that stakeholders including the youth, women groups, academia, private sector, conservationists as well as commissioners of the environment in different geopolitical zones should encourage actions not only at the federal level but also at the subnational level.

She stated that the government had consistently shown leadership in climate action. “Federal Government has backed up this commitment with concrete actions, Nigeria ratified the Paris agreement and the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, making Nigeria the 144th country that was needed for the entry into force of the amendment in December 2020.”

According to Ikeazor, the ministry is open to ideas to improve processes in the design and implementation of the NDC. “Climate change is a challenge to everyone and it is the desire of the government that more people be interested and involved in climate change action and participate in the efforts that Nigeria is making, but also to take advantage of all the opportunities it presents, especially for our youth.”

The event, moderated by Director, CCCD of AE-FUNAI, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, had an independent consultant, Huzi Msheilla, who served as the facilitator of Nigeria’s NDC review and implementation processes, shedding some light on the level of engagement and incorporation of other stakeholders in accelerating climate action in Nigeria.

Other speakers included Prof. Donald Brown, the Winner of the 2019 UNESCO Avicenne Prize for Climate Change Ethics; Dr. Thomas Hale of Oxford University; Rachael Rico, Policy Advisor, Italian Climate Network; Dr. Malle Fofana of the Global Green Growth at the Republic of Korea; Ms Yamide Dragnet, Director, Climate Negotiations, World Resources Institute; and Jessica Cookie, the Policy Officer at PLAN International.