The Federal Government has expressed commitment to taking more actions towards implementation of more policy action on climate change to ensure a greener economy.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Ismaila Abubakar, said this recently at a recent stakeholders’ workshop where a series of engagement on Just and Gender Inclusive Transition (JGIT) took place.
The workshop, which was held in Abuja, was organised by the Ministry of Labour in collaboration with the Initiatives for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT).
According to Abubakar, Nigeria is taking giant steps in ensuring that necessary policies on climate action are put in place.
“Nigeria, being a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, will do everything possible to ensure a Just Green Transition economy is achieved. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in line with its mandate, is tasked with ensuring a Just Transition.
“This is whereby more job opportunities are created instead of job losses as the Federal Government gears towards a greener economy. This is why the ministry, in the spirit of partnership, is being supported by ICAT to drive this process through the Nigeria-ICAT project,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary also noted that in line with the aforementioned, ICAT supported Nigeria to develop an MRV Institutional Arrangement with focus on three priorities. He said this, including oil and gas, transport, developed MRV indicators and tools to track the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Abubakar added that the workshop is aimed at reviewing existing JGIT definitions, concepts and overall approach in Nigeria.
“The outcomes of this workshop will set a precedence on the next steps and way forward in the drive for a Just and Gender Inclusive transition in Nigeria,” he said.
Also, Dr Yerima Tarfa, Team Lead for the Nigeria ICAT-JGIT project implementation said the objective of the project was to ensure tripartite cooperation on climate action as provided by the Paris Agreement.
He also said another objective was to develop JGIT MRV and ensure it links with the sectorial MRV system and the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) implemented by the Ministry of Environment, among others.
Also, Dr Henning Wuester, Director, ICAT said in the Paris Agreement, Nigeria had said it would achieve 20 percent reduction in carbon emission. Wuester said ICAT would continue to partner with the Nigerian government to ensure it achieve its goal on climate change.
Speaking, Dr Vanessa Phala, Country Director, International Labour Organisation (ILO), said as the world drifts towards green economy, it is imperative for all to champion the innovation.
Represented by Mr Stephen Agugua, ILO National Project Coordinator, Phala said addressing climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires transitioning to a net-zero carbon emission.
“This is an essential task that can provide significant economic and social benefits. It can also bring significant challenges for countries that are still dependent on fossil fuels and other emissions-intensive sectors.
A typical example of such a country is Nigeria. This is the major reason we should prioritise Just Transition to avoid job losses by 2030,” she said.
