By Joke Kujenya
TO ADVANCE her green industrial ambitions through substantial climate financing, Nigeria is set in a collaboration duel with the United States.
This announcement was made by the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC), Ajuri Ngelale, during his meeting with the U.S. Head of Delegation to the United Nations Climate Conference and Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate, Sue Biniaz, in Bonn, Germany.
Ngelale emphasized that the longstanding cooperative ties between Nigeria and the United States will play a pivotal role in Nigeria’s vision to transform into a green industrial powerhouse over the next decade.
“The quality and productive time spent with Ms. Sue Biniaz in Bonn underscores our shared commitment to leveraging large-scale climate financing to drive Nigeria’s green industrial agenda,” Ngelale stated.
He highlighted the need for innovative and transparent mechanisms to effectively allocate resources, ensuring that Nigeria can attract de-risked investment capital globally.
“We are committed to establishing new frameworks to transparently and innovatively apply these resources, meeting our objectives of drawing in new, de-risked investments,” he added.
Ngelale expressed confidence in Nigeria’s Climate Action team, stressing their capability to meet the nation’s green industrial goals. “I am confident in our team’s ability to deliver on this mandate. We will achieve this, step by step.”
Sue Biniaz was accompanied by Trigg Talley, the Managing Director for Negotiations and Director for the U.S. State Department’s Office of Global Change, further cementing the collaborative efforts between the two nations.
Previously, President Bola Tinubu had directed Ajuri Ngelale to serve as Nigeria’s Chief diplomat for climate-related engagements, overseeing the Energy Transition Office.
This directive was confirmed in a statement by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The directive positions SPEC as the lead negotiator for climate-related matters, directly reporting to the President.
The mandate for the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action includes integrating the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan into the Federal Government’s climate strategies.
Additionally, SPEC is tasked with coordinating all climate action activities across federal ministries, departments, and agencies, and engaging with international bodies to advance global climate goals.
Ajuri Ngelale’s role includes serving as the focal point for Nigeria’s engagements with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, and other international climate-related events.
He will also oversee the successful fulfillment of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and lead interactions with critical federal institutions on climate finance and green industrial growth.
The President’s directives also led to the expansion of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions (P-CAGE), now including representatives from various federal ministries and agencies, such as the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science & Technology, NNPCL, and the Energy Transition Office as a comprehensive approach to mark a substantial step forward in Nigeria’s climate action and green economy journey, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation.
