The President of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), approved a work plan for the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) on Friday in Abuja. This approval comes five months after he assented to the bill establishing the Council, followed by the appointment of its Director‑General and the Council’s inauguration on 28 September 2022. At the inaugural meeting, which he chaired, President Buhari directed the Attorney‑General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, to amend Nigeria’s Climate Change Act 2021 and report back to the Council.
President Buhari reiterated that the original regulation contained lapses, notably the high cost and bureaucracy created by establishing state and zonal offices. He instructed that the Act be amended to include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology and Innovation as Council members, to reduce the number of offices across the 36 states, and to streamline processes. He also noted that the Act currently excludes State Commissioners of Environment or their representatives and lacks a transitional provision for the Inter‑Ministerial Working Group on Energy Transition. Additionally, he called for the creation of an Executive Management Structure at the Secretariat to support the Director‑General.
The President endorsed the NCCC as the designated National Authority for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and confirmed the Director‑General as the UNFCCC National Focal Point, in line with the Climate Change Act 2021. He approved the deployment of staff from key ministries, departments, and agencies to the Council to ensure its effective launch, and authorized the operationalisation of office space to provide a conducive working environment. The President also approved the development of the Open Market Carbon Trading Framework and Infrastructure (Phase I) in collaboration with Rosehill Group Limited and urged the management team to finalise the National Climate Action Plan, which will serve as a sustainable framework for all climate‑related activities in Nigeria and a key tool for global engagement.
Minister of Environment Mohammed Abdullahi welcomed the President’s support, stating that Nigeria is poised to lead climate‑change issues, biodiversity, wildlife conservation, and the implementation of the energy transition plan in Africa. He thanked President Buhari for his strong leadership of the Pan‑African Agency of the Great Green Wall, the Sahel and Sahara Initiative, the Climate Commission of the Sahel Region, and the Lake Chad Basin Development Authority. Director‑General Dr Salisu Dahiru added that the Council has engaged with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria Ltd, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and other partners to ensure the success of its initiatives.
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