CCCD, WRI to deepen stakeholders’ engagement on Nigeria’s climate plan review

An Environmental Expert, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, says a project aimed at increasing public awareness and engagement to enhance the ongoing revision process of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), has commenced.

Okereke, a Professor in the Environment and Development Department at the University of Reading in the UK, and Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD), made this known on Friday in a statement in Lagos.

The CCCD is a research think-tank based at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo (AEFUNAI), in Ebonyi.

Okereke said the one-year initiative, which commenced from July, with support from the World Resources Institute (WRI), would widen the horizon of the discourse, and complement the current government-led NDC revision process.

He said that the project was entitled: “Promoting Critical Analysis of, and Stakeholders’ Engagement with The Revision of Nigeria’s NDC”.

According to him, given that the NDC revision process has already started, and is slated to be completed by November 2020, the immediate commencement of this project is highly desirable.

“It will enable the capture of the analytical pieces and engage the public and critical stakeholders to incorporate their views into the window ending September 2020,” Okereke said.

He affirmed that the project would commission insightful short analysis on several topics relevant for the Nigerian NDC, as well as organising and promoting a stakeholders’ engagement and public debate on relevant issues.

Okereke added that the project would embark on targeted public awareness and media campaigns to disseminate the information and stimulate the engagement of the wider public in the NDC revision and, eventually in its implementation afterwards.

“All the national stakeholders’ dialogues to discuss the papers would be convened via webinars, which will start in July and run through to November when the NDC is due to be submitted,” he said.

Okereke recalled that Nigeria was among the 190 countries that submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the run up to the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) in Paris, France in 2015.

“Nigeria’s INDC has since been subsequently converted into the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) following the country’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in May 2017.

“With a promise of 20 per cent unconditional emission reduction and 45 per cent conditional emissions by 2030 compared to 2010 based line scenario, Nigeria’s NDC appears to be ambitious.

“The NDC is built on the appealing philosophy of pursuing socioeconomic development while reducing carbon pollution.

“It also outlines several measures, which government said would take to meet the self-imposed targets, even as an emphasis is placed on adaptation given the nation’s seeming vulnerability to climate change,” he said.

Okereke said that under the ongoing revision process, the Federal Government with the support of the NDC Partnership (of which WRI is a member), through the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP), has outlined a plan to revise and submit an updated NDC by November 2020.