President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on world leaders to demonstrate unity, courage, and sustained commitment in tackling the escalating global climate crisis.
Speaking on Wednesday during a high-level virtual dialogue on climate and just energy transition, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to a new development paradigm where climate action and economic growth go hand in hand.
“The global climate emergency demands our collective, courageous, and sustained leadership,” Tinubu declared. “For Nigeria, the urgency of this moment is clear: we view climate action not as a cost to development, but as a strategic imperative.”
The dialogue, co-hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was convened to ramp up global ambition ahead of COP30, which Brazil will host. Leaders from 17 countries—including China, the European Union, the African Union, ASEAN, and the Alliance of Small Island States—participated in the meeting.
Addressing the gathering from Abuja, President Tinubu outlined Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) as a “bold, pragmatic roadmap” for achieving net-zero emissions by 2060. The plan targets five critical sectors: power, cooking, transportation, oil and gas, and industry. To implement it successfully, the country estimates a financing need of over $410 billion.
“We are aligning our regulatory environment, fiscal incentives, and institutional frameworks to ensure that energy access, decarbonisation, and economic competitiveness proceed in lockstep,” Tinubu said. “We are also taking leadership on energy access.”
Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s leadership role in the Mission 300 initiative, in collaboration with the World Bank and African Development Bank, to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.
He also cited Nigeria’s early adoption of the Dar es Salaam Declaration and the launch of the country’s National Energy Compact—one of the first of its kind in Africa—which lays out policy reform commitments, investment opportunities, and measurable targets for clean energy and cooking access.
“This compact sets quantifiable targets to grow electricity access and increase clean cooking penetration,” he explained. “We are working to build capacity and ensure that we meet these targets, reflecting not just our ambition but also our commitment to deliver on that ambition measurably.”
As part of Nigeria’s broader energy reform efforts, President Tinubu announced the finalisation of the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Policy, which was completed in March 2025. The policy is expected to unlock up to $2.5 billion by 2030 through high-integrity carbon credits and related investments.
He also revealed that Nigeria is in the process of updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with plans to submit a comprehensive revision by September 2025.
“Our climate strategy is not limited to planning and regulation—it is also rooted in market reform,” the President stated. “We are working to position Nigeria as a premier destination for climate-smart investment through the development of a Global Climate Change Investment Fund.”
According to Tinubu, the fund will blend public and private capital, de-risk green infrastructure, and finance clean energy at scale. Priority areas include green industrial hubs, e-mobility infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, and renewable mini-grids for underserved communities.
The President also expressed gratitude to international partners such as the United Nations and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) for their advisory and technical support.
“These partnerships are a shining example of the value of multilateral cooperation in climate delivery,” Tinubu said. “We are prepared to collaborate, lead, and deliver—because we understand that the time for climate action is not tomorrow; it is now.”