Inauguration Of Climate Change Council Will Coordinate Efforts, Boost Nigeria’s Energy Sector — Rep Onuigbo

The chairperson, Climate Parliament Nigeria, Hon. Sam Onuigbo has urged the federal government to commence efforts to ensure the inauguration of National Council on Climate Change as stipulated the the Climate Change Act signed into law last year by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Act bestows a lot of responsibilities on the Council in order for certain things around the Act to be implemented especially with timeliness attached to them.

Section 19(2) of the Act for instance mandates that the Federal Ministry of Environment in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning must present the pilot carbon budget to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) through the National Council on Climate Change, not later than one year from the date of assent to the Bill

The Bill was on November 17, 2021 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking at a capacity building workshop on the Climate Change Act organised by Climate Parliament in Abuja, Hon. Onuigbo representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency of Abia State urged that as the timeline for presentation of pilot carbon budget to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning through the National Council on Climate Change, gradually comes to an end, there is need for the setting up of the council for implementation to commence.

The federal lawmaker said this will not only tackle the effects of climate change but will also boost the nation’s energy sector.

He said, “Nigeria’s loudest statements on climate change were the country setting 2060 to attain net zero and Mr. President signing the Climate Change Act. To see the Act not being implemented with the inauguration of the Council even when there is a clear timeline for certain things to be done, as stipulated in the Act, should be a source of concern to Nigerians. For instance, Section 19(2) of the Act mandates that the Federal Ministry of Environment in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning must present the pilot carbon budget to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) through the National Council on Climate Change, not later than one year from the date of assent to the Bill. That automatically means that the pilot carbon budget must be presented on or before November 16, 2022. In the same vein, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Secretariat of the National Council on Climate Change are mandated by Section 20 to develop the five-yearly Action Plan for the realization of the carbon budget. Section 20(2) mandates that the first Action Plan must be ready within one year of assent to the Bill. It is important to note that Section 20(3) mandates that before the Action Plan is presented to the Council and FEC, it must be made public for eight weeks (culminating 14 days before the date of presentation to the Council) for the public to review. It is therefore time to inaugurate the Council for proper coordination of our Climate Change efforts.

“Climate Parliament, over the years, has led constructive conversations on climate change and most importantly, renewable energy provisions for energy-poor countries like ours. This idea metamorphosed into the launch of the Green Grids Initiative by Prime Ministers Mordi of India and Johnson of Britain on November 2, 2021, during COP26 at Glasgow. The idea is not to only tackle the climate change menace, but to also address our energy problems by proffering sustainable and clean alternatives.”

He also applauded the Climate Parliament for the critical role it played in the final draft of the Climate Change Act, while also engaging several Nigerian legislators on the path to toe in engendering clean energy production and distribution that is cheap.

He highlighted that the body has established an office at the National Assembly as a demonstration of its unwavering support and effort to firmly plant its feet in the country to help push these humane, Nigeria-focused, and sustainable dreams through.

Hon. Onuigbo also called on the International Community with private finance to come and invest in Nigeria’s renewable energy sub-sector as a way of helping to solve Nigeria’s energy problem.

He said, the time to take advantage of the massive investment opportunity is now, advising them not to repeat the mistakes made by some of them during the privatisation of the telecommunications sub-sector.