Shettima returns from COP 30, reaffirms leadership on climate action in Africa
Vice President Kashim Shettima
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has returned to Abuja after successfully representing President Bola Tinubu at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) held in Belém, Brazil.
This was made known in a statement on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President).
At the conference, Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to tackling climate change, underlining the country’s renewed agenda as “not just an aspiration, but a solemn national commitment to preserve the planet for future generations.”
He delivered a bold statement titled, “The Rational Soul of Nature”, urging global partners “to recognise the economic value of nature and to channel significant finance towards protecting and restoring it through predictable, equitable, and accessible funding mechanisms.”
Vice President also participated in key events including the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Fund and important bilateral talks on Nigeria’s role in carbon markets, which could unlock between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually to support climate goals.
Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, highlighted Nigeria’s influential role at regional platforms, stating, “One thing that I know the whole world would look out for is Nigeria’s leadership in Africa.
So we do have our influence in the regional ECOWAS and also at AU platforms to demonstrate that we are that big brother.”
She underscored Nigeria’s strategy to mobilise finance and advocate for adaptation funding across Africa, adding, “The natural capital we have – don’t forget that we are an oil-producing nation and endowed with vast natural gas resources and renewables – we will also continue to use that to implement the NDCs in a way that works for us and addresses the sustainable development challenges that we are facing.”
El-Rufai also praised Nigeria for its leadership in submitting its National Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of many countries and urged others to follow suit, emphasizing the COP 30 theme as a “COP of Action and Implementation.”
