By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, will represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the upcoming Conference of the Parties 27 (COP 27).
This was disclosed by the Federal Ministry of Environment on Friday, November 4, through its official Twitter account ahead of COP 27, which will start tomorrow in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, till November 18, 2022.
According to the announcement, President Buhari directed Mr Abdullahi to represent him as the head of Nigeria’s delegation.
The Ministry explained that the Minister is expected to host sessions on how to combat desertification. The focus would be on the ongoing efforts to build the Great Green Wall across the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
“The Minister is expected to represent the President at High-Level Sessions and also deliver Nigeria’s National Statement at COP27 plenary, attend bilateral and side meetings on Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, amongst other engagements.
“As Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Pan African Great Green Wall (GGW), he is expected to host alongside the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Pan African Great Green Wall, a high-level meeting of Member States on the Great Green Wall.
“Other Ministers to attend alongside the Minister of Environment, are Ministers of Water Resources, Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Agriculture and Rural Development, Power and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and several Agencies of Government,” it said.
The Minister of Environment has been involved in several meetings and dialogues with partners across the board on framing a message to be presented by Nigeria at COP 27.
Nigeria plans to have two panels on the country’s energy transition plan (ETP) at the upcoming COP 27. The panels will include; Energy Transition Plan (ETP) Project/Finance Panel and Advocacy/Governance Panel.
COP 27 seeks to accelerate global climate action through emissions reduction, scaled-up adaptation efforts, and enhanced flows of appropriate finance.
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, hosted by Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh, will see delegates from around the world participate in the annual climate change negotiations. With over 40,000 estimated attendees, the summit is expected to host one of the largest numbers of participants in the annual global climate conference, which is running from November 6 to 18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Ambassador Wael Aboulmagd, Special Representative to the COP27 President, said: “The Egyptian Presidency team has worked tirelessly to create an enabling environment that is conducive to successful negotiations.
“As the hosts of the COP, we are keen on bringing representatives of nations and stakeholders from across the world and to provide the required momentum to address the required actions for urgent and at-scale implementation of climate commitments and pledges.”
President Buhari is currently in the United Kingdom for medicals. He is expected back in the country in the second week of this month.
