Nigeria´s effort to tackle climate change has not gone unnoticed by the European Union, hence the support through the Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme

ABUJA, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, NIGERIA, August 19, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A three-day inception workshop opened here today at the Rockview Hotel Royale in Abuja to officially mark the beginning of a new yet innovative European Union (EU) funded initiative, the Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme (NCCRP).

The initiative is designed to support Nigeria’s effort of conditionally reducing its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 45 per cent come 2030 in line with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions. (NDCs)

Declaring open the NCCRP Inception Workshop attended by stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, Dr. Yerima Peter Tarfa, the Director of the Department of Climate Change at the Federal Ministry of Environment reminded participants that while the prevailing COVID 19 pandemic might appear awful, sight must not be lost of the equally threatening impact of climate change.

He said «Climate change could cause as bad damages and losses as COVID-19, but spread over a much longer period, in an irreversible manner. Hence, it has become even more imperative to recover from the global pandemic without compromising our efforts to combat climate change and its major causes.»

Highlighting Nigeria’s commitment to tackling climate change, Dr Tarfa said since 2017 when the country ratified the Paris Agreement, it has developed and vigorously pursued plans and activities towards meeting this very important global commitment.

He recognised the timeliness of the EU support and how critical it is in enabling Nigeria to meet the 45% conditional target of the Nationally Determined Contributions with special focus on the development of a Measuring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) system at institutional and sector levels as well as on communication; and Green House Gas (GHG) data on waste management at the Federal level and in two pilot States (Kano and Ogun).

In her goodwill message, Katrine-Mulvad Thomsen, the Head of the Economic Development and Energy Section of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS recognised Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate change and explained why the country merits EU´s unflinching support.

She said « Nigeria has shown political commitment in tackling climate change and has set ambitious commitments to unconditional greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 20 percent and 45 percent conditional. That is why the European Commission and the European Union have decided to support Nigeria in meeting its NDC pledges through the Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme NCCRP.»

Ms Thomsen reiterated the importance that the EU attaches to addressing climate change as underlined in the newly published EU comprehensive strategy for Africa, the European Green Deal and the Post COVID Green Recovery Support.

Stressing the need for cooperation, she added: “Close cooperation between key sector stakeholders as participants of today’s workshop is instrumental to the success of the Programme. The aim of today’s workshop is to seek your views on the Programme and to bring you together in Working Groups, which would meet regularly during the Programme”

Conseil Santé Consortium is leading the SOFRECO, CITEPA and FACTOR outfits in providing technical assistance for the implementation of the Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme, which is expected to last through January 2024.

KAYODE EGBELEYE
Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme
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