Reported by: Ime Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
Nigeria has urged the international community to significantly scale up funding to protect and restore the planet’s natural resources, emphasizing that forests, landscapes, and oceans are shared assets requiring global cooperation.
Speaking at a high-level thematic session titled “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans” on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressed that nature is the world’s most critical infrastructure but has long been treated as a commodity rather than an asset to invest in.
He highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to integrating nature-positive investments into its climate finance architecture, noting that through the National Carbon Market Framework and Climate Change Fund, the country aims to mobilize up to three billion US dollars annually for community-led reforestation, blue carbon projects, and sustainable agriculture initiatives.
“Countries that contributed least to the climate crisis are paying the highest price today. For climate justice to be served, nations that have historically benefited from extraction must now lead in restoration,” the Vice President said, calling on global partners to increase grant-based finance, operationalize Blue Carbon Markets, and implement debt-for-nature swaps to enable developing countries to invest in conservation.
Senator Shettima described Nigeria’s domestic efforts, including the Great Green Wall Initiative, reforesting degraded lands across eleven states, planting over ten million trees, and creating thousands of green jobs for youth and women. Through the National Afforestation Programme and Forest Landscape Restoration Plan, Nigeria aims to restore over two million hectares of degraded land by 2030. The Vice President also highlighted the launch of the Marine and Blue Economy Policy to promote climate-smart fisheries, coastal protection, and marine biodiversity conservation.
Addressing misconceptions about Africa’s role in climate change, Senator Shettima rejected the portrayal of the continent as a mere victim, emphasizing that Africa possesses vast carbon sinks in its rainforests, mangroves, and peatlands, as well as a young population ready to drive innovative solutions.
“Nigeria invites global partners to join us and the African Union in advancing the African Nature Finance Framework, unlocking private capital for reforestation, ecosystem restoration, and blue economy development,” he added.
The Vice President concluded by stressing that protecting nature is inseparable from human prosperity, urging nations to recognize the economic value of ecosystems and commit to predictable, equitable, and accessible funding mechanisms for their preservation.
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