The Third National Conference on Climate Change, themed “Channeling Action towards Just, Sustainable Climate Financing,” convened on November 4, 2024, bringing together over 100 stakeholders, including policymakers, academics, climate activists, and community leaders.
In his opening remarks, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), underscored the persistent inequities in global climate financing. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, countries like Nigeria bear the brunt of the climate crisis. He pointed out the unwillingness of major polluters and the Global North to accept historical liabilities and commit to reparatory justice through sustainable grants rather than loans. Oluwafemi highlighted the stark financing gaps, noting that while Africa requires $250 billion annually for climate adaptation and mitigation, it received only $30 billion in 2020. He stressed the need for innovative mechanisms, international solidarity, and stronger accountability frameworks to bridge this deficit. He also emphasised the importance of leveraging Nigeria’s National Climate Change Act, which provides for a climate change fund sourced from various channels, including fines, grants, and compensations.
Mrs. Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, delivered a solidarity message focusing on community-driven climate action. She noted ongoing federal initiatives, such as promoting compressed natural gas adoption and training programs encouraging women to use green energy. Essiet reiterated the importance of ensuring conference outcomes have a tangible impact on rural communities.
Also speaking during his opening remark, the Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarable Abbas, ably represented by the Director of Climate Change Department; Dr. Iniobong Abiola Awe, represented by Mrs. Victoria Gyang Pwol, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to inclusive climate change initiatives. She highlighted Nigeria’s progress with its sovereign green bond program, which is set to fund renewable energy projects, reforestation, and sustainable transportation. Mrs. Gyang stressed the importance of accessibility, transparency, and accountability in climate financing while urging stakeholders to close the gap between aspirations and actionable solutions.
Ogunlade Olamide Martins, Senior Programme Officer for CAPPA, presented sobering statistics on Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate change. He detailed the country’s challenges, including flooding, desertification, and the shrinking of Lake Chad, which exacerbates food insecurity and displacement. Martins called for a shift in global discourse from carbon markets to true climate justice, emphasising the urgency of addressing systemic inequalities and the environmental toll on frontline communities. He outlined the conference’s objectives, which include advancing equitable climate financing and countering green colonialism.
The keynote address by Reverend Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), was a powerful critique of historical and ongoing exploitation perpetuating climate injustices in the Global North, particularly Africa. He interrogated various extractive practices that have devastated Africa and linked these patterns to global climate power imbalances. Dr. Bassey called for a system-wide change and greater commitment globally to cap temperature increases at 1.5 degrees Celsius, hold major polluters accountable, and redefine global climate finance frameworks to prioritise reparations and local resilience.
During the presentations, Mrs. Faith Nwadishi, Executive Director of the Center for Advocacy Transparency, and Esther Mwaniki of Lapid Leaders Africa further dissected the realities of climate finance politics. Nwadishi revealed the disproportionate impact of emissions on the Global South and criticised the financial architecture that favours wealthier nations. Mwaniki focused on loss and damage funding, advocating for African-led solutions and stronger youth engagement in climate justice movements.
The Conference provided an opportunity for CAPPA, in collaboration with the Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) coalition, to unveil their new storytelling platform focused on documenting the impact of climate change on frontline communities in Africa. While enlightening participants about the platform named Tales of Africa’s Climate, the team also presented to the audience its pilot documentary, which sheds light on the environmental devastation in Ayetoro, a community in Ondo State, Nigeria.
The conference also featured interactive group sessions. Participants discussed renewable energy, financing climate change, loss and damage, and the realities of climate impacts in Nigeria. Recommendations included leveraging Nigeria’s renewable energy potential, addressing gas flaring, and ensuring that reparations for climate damages are upheld in international negotiations.
In the communique presented by CAPPA’s Policy and Research Officer, Zikora Ibeh, key recommendations included demanding reparations from big polluters, adopting inclusive climate policies, ensuring transparency in fund management, and rejecting debt-based financing models. The communique emphasised that African nations must leverage their natural resources to drive a just transition to cleaner energy and demand accountability from historically polluting nations.
The conference concluded with remarks from Akinbode Oluwafemi, who stressed the need for a unified Nigerian agenda at the upcoming COP29. He called for African nations to demand reparations and transformative climate interventions collectively. Participants left with a renewed commitment to advocating for just and sustainable solutions, as the event closed with a promise to build on these efforts at next year’s conference.
