A former aide of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Stephen Ola Adedayo has commended him for his contributions at the ongoing 28th Edition of the United Nations Climate Summit, codenamed Conference of Parties, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Adedayo passed the commendation on Tuesday in his remarks on the contributions and assertions by African leaders, especially, the Nigerian President at the COP28.
President Tinubu named the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dahiru Salisu, to co-chair the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan.
Announcing the inauguration in a side meeting in the ongoing 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), where world leaders and climate activists are meeting in Dubai.
Tinubu said “It’s time to help bring African nations out of debt, invest in viable climate solutions, and reduce emissions, which exacerbate the climate emergency that disproportionately affects Africans”
He also noted that: “African climate activists called for decisive action beyond empty words, calling on leaders to fulfill promises made at the ACS and previous COP.
In a statement on Tuesday, Adedayo said: “For the first time, African representatives brought to the negotiation table new expectations, hopes, and criticisms stemming from the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) that took place in Nairobi in September.
Tinubu’s former personal photographer also expressed delight that the first-ever such African gathering dedicated to climate issues has led to nations signing a groundbreaking pact with a clear message to the international community.
Speaking under the broad theme: “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World,” President Tinubu said Nigeria is taking a significant step towards a sustainable and eco-friendly future by introducing a pioneering initiative to deploy a fleet of 100 electric buses.
He also “explained that the strategic initiative is aimed at significantly reducing Nigeria’s carbon footprint and modernising the country’s transportation systems as part of a larger effort to position Nigeria and Africa as the pioneering frontier of green manufacturing and industrialization with a focus on natural gas as a transition fuel alongside other renewable energy sources.”
Speaking further, he explained ”This initiative stands as a testament to our dedication to environmental stewardship as exemplified through our collaboration with the Africa Carbon Market Initiative. Our visionary plan is a strategic guidepost, directing Nigeria towards becoming an investment-friendly destination for carbon market investments.
”We recognize the imperative of fostering an environment that not only attracts investment but also upholds standardised and sustainable industrial practices. As a manifestation of our forward-thinking approach, we are actively looking to implement robust, enabling policies and frameworks that will catalyse the burgeoning growth of the carbon market within our national borders.
The President assured prospective investors that this initiative transcends being a mere pilot project.
”It is a concrete manifestation of our unwavering dedication to a carbon-neutral future. I assure you; this is only the commencement of our ambitious plans, with many more impactful initiatives on the horizon,” he said.
President Tinubu, while acknowledging the pressing need for a comprehensive global collaboration on climate-related challenges, called on global partners to join hands in accelerating collective efforts towards a net-zero future.
