Tinubu Urges Global Climate Unity While Nigeria Struggles With Security Crisis
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on global leaders to act with unity, courage, and sustained commitment in addressing the escalating climate crisis. Speaking during a high-level virtual dialogue on climate and the just transition, he emphasized that climate action should be viewed as a strategic development imperative, not a cost. Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that climate progress and economic growth move forward together. “The global climate emergency demands our collective, courageous, and sustained leadership,” he said. The meeting, co-hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, aimed to fast-track international climate efforts ahead of COP30. Leaders from 17 nations and key regional blocs such as the African Union, ASEAN, and the Alliance of Small Island States joined the dialogue, sending a unified message that the global community is moving forward with climate action at full speed. However, back home, Nigeria continues to face pressing security challenges, including insurgency, banditry, and communal violence, which threaten both its stability and development efforts. Tinubu presented Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP), a roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions by 2060. The ETP covers five core sectors—power, cooking, transportation, oil and gas, and industry—and outlines a funding requirement of over $410 billion to meet its targets. He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership in the Mission 300 initiative, which aims to bring electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030, in collaboration with the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Yet, the President acknowledged that meaningful climate progress must go hand in hand with addressing domestic issues like insecurity, which continues to hinder access to energy and investment in affected regions. He further detailed the country’s broader energy reforms, including the finalization of Nigeria’s Carbon Market Activation Policy, which is expected to attract up to $2.5 billion in investments by 2030. Tinubu also announced the ongoing update of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UNFCCC framework, with a comprehensive revision expected by September 2025. Additionally, a new Global Climate Change Investment Fund is being developed to attract climate-smart investments, support green infrastructure, and advance clean energy solutions across Nigeria—especially in rural and conflict-prone areas where development is most needed. Closing his remarks, President Tinubu acknowledged the critical role of multilateral partnerships in driving climate solutions, while also stressing the importance of national security in enabling development. He thanked global partners such as the United Nations and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) for their continued support. “We are prepared to collaborate, lead, and deliver — because we understand that the time for climate action is not tomorrow; it is now,” he concluded, adding that Nigeria will not achieve its full climate or economic potential without first ensuring the safety and security of its people.