General
COP 30: Tinubu Okays National Carbon Market Framework to Unlock $3bn Financing
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has approved the adoption of a National Carbon Market Framework, the operationalization of the Climate Change Fund, and the restoration of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to the budget line.
This comes ahead of the 30th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled to hold in Belem, Brazil in November.
According to a statement signed by the spokesman to the Vice President, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the goal is to establish and manage Nigeria’s participation in carbon markets.
This will also enable the nation to unlock between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually in carbon finance over the next decade to help meet climate goals.
Carbon markets refer to systems that allow countries, companies, or organisations to buy and sell carbon credits, which represent the right to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) or other greenhouse gases (GHGs).
The approvals followed a presentation by the Director General of NCCC, Mrs Omotenioye Majekodunmi, at the second meeting of the council held on Thursday evening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the approvals were part of measures by his administration to properly position Nigeria to leverage opportunities in the global carbon market and be more active in climate change ecosystem.
The Nigerian leader also set the agenda for Nigeria ahead of the forthcoming COP 30 scheduled for Belem, Brazil, saying the focus is to harness all of the opportunities for financing climate resilient projects and related interventions, particularly from the global carbon market.
The President said his administration recognizes the fact that addressing climate change is not just an environment imperative but an opportunity to unlock new investments, jobs and innovations across the nation’s energy, agriculture and industrial sectors.
“Nigeria stands ready to takes its rightful place as a global leader in climate action, ensuring that our voice and our reality are heard and respected in international negotiations.
“We have demonstrated this commitment through our active participation in the UNFCCC process, our progress towards implementing our nationally determined contributions and our efforts to mobilize climate finance for adaption and mitigation across all levels of government,” he said.
The President assured that as chairman of the council, climate action will continue to be prioritized in his administration’s development agenda.
“We will continue to champion policies that protect our people, strengthen our economy and position Nigeria as a destination for green investment and innovation”.
On her part, Mrs Majekodunmi said the deliberations and decisions of the council would shape how Nigeria is perceived globally and determine how effectively the country can mobilize support to achieve its climate goals.
The council secretariat expressed its commitment to providing the technical leadership and coordination needed to translate Nigeria’s climate goals into measurable results.
Presenting the council’s progress report, she disclosed that Nigeria is now eligible to access new rounds of climate finance from multilateral funds.
Highlighting the secretariat’s key requests, she said the council sought the adoption of the National Carbon Market Framework to enable Nigeria unlock between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually in carbon finance over the next decade.
The Council also requested the operationalization of the Climate Change Fund to ensure immediate readiness for fund mobilization and utilization.
The final request was for the Council to restore the NCCC budget line within the annual FAAC allocation to guarantee the financial stability of the Climate Change Fund.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, backed the Council Secretariat’s recommendations, noting that Nigeria must secure a strong position within the carbon framework.
He assured the Council of the Finance ministry’s support, including coordination with the ministry’s economic department to host a quarterly Climate Finance Tracking Dashboard.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) recently hosted a high-level delegation from Newryton International Industrial Development Company Limited, a leading Chinese investment and industrial development consortium, to advance discussions on deepening bilateral trade, industrial cooperation, and development financing between both countries.
The Newryton delegation, led by Mr David Chen, Assistant Secretary-General of the China Hainan Investment Council, had earlier engaged with the Nigerian Association of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). They were accompanied to the NCSP by Mr Joe Onyuike, Vice-Chairman of NACCIMA’s Agriculture and Livestock Trade Group, who conveyed NACCIMA’s support for the delegation’s engagements.
Discussions centered on the establishment of a Nigeria–China Trade and Investment Platform, including a proposed Promotion Centre in China to support Nigerian products, investors, and state governments.
The consortium also presented opportunities within Hainan Province’s Free Trade Port (FTP), which offers preferential policies that Nigerian businesses can leverage to expand exports and attract new investments.
In his address on behalf of Newryton, Mr Pong outlined plans to collaborate with NCSP in accessing FOCAC-supported financing for strategic investments in agriculture, energy, mining, solid minerals processing, and related sectors. The delegation identified aquaculture as a key area of interest and referenced the forthcoming Global Aquaculture Conference in Hainan Province, encouraging Nigerian stakeholders to participate.
They also expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation in vocational training and employment under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Welcoming the delegation on behalf of the Director-General, Martins Olajide, NCSP’s Head of Internal Operations, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.
He highlighted NCSP’s strong interest in the proposed Nigeria–China Trade and Investment Platform and the development of the Nigerian Oil Palm Industrial Park as a flagship demonstration project.
Also speaking at the meeting, Ms Judy Melifonwu, NCSP’s Head of International Relations, underscored the opportunities presented by China’s zero-tariff policy and the forthcoming NAQS–GACC protocol on the export of Nigerian aquaculture products. She noted that these frameworks would significantly enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in emerging global markets.
Both parties expressed commitment to advancing discussions toward a structured cooperation framework covering all priority areas.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom–Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), established in 2019 as part of a 16-year legacy of UK-funded infrastructure support to Nigeria, convened over 100 senior stakeholders on Tuesday, December 2, to review its progress and formally close out its current phase of operations.
The event brought together representatives from federal and state governments, development partners, development finance institutions, and the private sector to reflect on UKNIAF’s work across the power, infrastructure finance, and roads sectors. Discussions focused on institutional reforms, capacity development, and the sustainability of tools and processes introduced over the past six years.
Since inception, UKNIAF has delivered targeted technical assistance designed to embed evidence-based reforms, data-driven decision-making, and improved institutional performance. Its interventions have mobilised significant financing, strengthened regulatory and planning systems, and enhanced investor readiness across multiple infrastructure markets.
In the power sector, participants highlighted landmark achievements including the development of Nigeria’s first Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a least-cost and low-carbon pathway for expanding electricity supply. UKNIAF also supported the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in building advanced real-time data capabilities for tariff monitoring, grid management, and outage tracking. The programme enabled pioneering states to establish their own electricity markets following constitutional reforms.
In infrastructure finance, UKNIAF was recognised for strengthening project preparation systems and enabling access to capital. Notable accomplishments include supporting the mobilisation of $75 million from the African Development Bank to the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme in two states, and accelerating mini-grid and solar deployment through improved technical standards at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
UKNIAF also designed a national project preparation facility, for which N21 billion was allocated in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets to build a pipeline of bankable projects.
Speaking on this, Mr Frank Edozie, UKNIAF Team Lead, described the programme’s close-out as a “handover for sustained delivery,” emphasising that strengthened institutions now hold tools that make Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape more transparent, climate-smart, and investor-ready.
On his part, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, commended the programme, noting that its technical assistance and advisory services had helped lay the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive electricity supply industry.
Mrs Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Corporation at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, praised the partnership, highlighting achievements ranging from state-level electricity market reforms to unlocking major financing and designing Nigeria’s Climate Change Fund.
Enugu State Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, underscored the lasting influence of the programme, stating that UKNIAF’s impact continues through the expertise and leadership transferred to national and sub-national institutions.
The close-out event reaffirmed stakeholders’ commitment to sustaining tools, reforms, and knowledge products developed under UKNIAF, while strengthening collaboration among public, private, and development actors in the infrastructure ecosystem.
Participants included federal and state agencies such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Federal Ministry of Power, Ministry of Finance, NERC, REA, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria, alongside development partners including the African Development Bank, World Bank, and IFC, as well as private sector and civil society stakeholders.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, has been slashed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The Lagos-based oil facility brought down the ex-depot price of the petroleum product by 15.58 per cent or N129 per litre to N828 per litre.
Though the company had yet to release an official statement on this development, real-time market data on Petroleumprice.ng on Friday showed the new price.
Punch reports that data from the platform also showed fresh reductions across several private depots following the refinery’s latest review.
Sigmund Depot cut its ex-depot price by N4 to N824 per litre, Bulk Strategic dropped its price by N3, and TechnoOil slashed its by N15.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn