The federal government, through the federal ministry of environment, has made moves to check climate change threats and its consequences on the economy and the environment.
The highlight of that gathering was the inauguration of the State Climate Desk Officers Coordination Meeting.
The meeting was inaugurated by Mahmud Kambari, the permanent secretary at the ministry who also delivered a keynote speech.
Kambari said that “the onset of climate change presents an unprecedented threat to our planet, with far-reaching consequences for our environment, economies, and societies.”
He emphasised that subnational climate change officers play an important role in translating global climate goals into actual actions and policies that are relevant at the local level.
“Your work on the frontline of climate action, implementing mitigation and adaptation measures, is essential in building a more sustainable future for our citizens and safeguarding our natural resources for generations to come, ” he said.
Disclosing that meetings had taken place earlier, the Permanent Secretary stated that the purpose of the launch was “to re-enact and foster existing synergy of the national and subnational towards aligning and meeting the Ministerial High Impact Deliverables in line with the Presidential Transformative Agenda.”
Kambari also stated that the gathering was an opportunity to relaunch the Toolkits for the States’ Climate Action Communication, which the Ministry has produced and will soon be sent to the 36 states and the FCT to improve reporting on national climate action.
He stated that the coordinating conference “provides a unique opportunity to foster collaboration, exchange best practices, and forge partnerships that will strengthen our collective impact on climate change mitigation and adaptation.”
“By coming together as a community of dedicated professionals, we can leverage our expertise, share lessons learned, and explore innovative solutions to address the complex challenges posed by climate change in our regions and states”, he added.
Iniobong Abiola Awe, Director of the Department for Climate Change, stated that the Coordination Meeting was a critical platform for implementing the outcome of the 17th Session of the National Council on Environment (NCE) Resolution 9Ai.
Awe explained that NCE underscores the need for effective communication, collaboration, and synergy between the Federal and States in all environmental issues to enhance performance and better implementation of National Environmental Policies.”
The platform is expected to bridge the existing communication gap, provide a platform for knowledge-sharing and capacity development, and an enabling effective reporting of climate action.
Overall, he said, the platform seeks to jointly synergize efforts at national and subnational levels to achieve climate commitments.
Regular meetings will allow Desk Officers to share information, best practices, and coordinate efforts to improve climate resilience and link subnational climate action with national climate goals and priorities.
The Director stated that the discussions would allow state climate officers to find synergies, gaps, and areas of collaboration with other stakeholders such as government, civil society, academia, and the commercial sector.
He further stated that the platform would provide a chance to increase the ability of skill development for state climate desk officials through targeted training workshops and knowledge sharing activities.
The Director stated that the DCC has formed a secretariat to manage coordination meetings and guarantee that the vision and objectives are implemented.
Chukwumerije Okereke, a Professor and President of Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) who was invited to make a presentation on the status of the Subnational Climate Governance Ranking Project, which is being done in collaboration with DCC, congratulated the Ministry and the DCC for the inaugural coordination meeting.
He believes that the initiative and platform would go a long way in helping to plug the current gap in climate change governance in Nigeria by promoting stronger climate action.
Okereke stated that the Climate Governance Performance Ranking of States builds upon the Climate Action Mapping initiative, which was completed last year in conjunction with the DCC and the Nigeria Governors Forum.
According to him, the ranking and rating project has been designed to establish a single comprehensive ranking of climate governance for the 36 states of the Federation.
Okereke stated that the ranking considers five factors, including climate governance and administrative structure, climate policy and action plan, climate change project implementation, climate finance and budget, and online visibility.
He said he was confident that the climate governance rating initiative will spark health rivalry and a race to the top among state governments.
Okeke stated that the mapping initiative completed last year was already having a major positive impact, with a record number of states now working to develop climate policy and action plans.
He stated that the final outcome of the rating and ranking exercise with the accompanying report would be released in a big national event in July, with the first three states getting awards jointly presented by the Ministry and the Society for Planet and Prosperity.
He urged the state Desk Officers to remain focused on promoting climate action in their respective states and pledged that the SPP was committed to mounting capacity building and training programmes that would benefit the desk officers.
