The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, stated at the global climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, that Nigeria aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, ten years after the United Nations-approved 2050 net-zero target to limit the effects of climate change.

The term “net zero-emission” refers to a situation in which the amount of greenhouse gas produced equals the amount removed from the environment. This means that while carbon is released, it is also taken from the atmosphere, resulting in zero emissions and the stabilisation of world temperatures.

He said: “There is an urgent need for action on the environment. Desertification in the north, floods in the centre. Pollution and erosion in the coast are enough evidence. For Nigeria, climate change is not about the affairs of tomorrow but what is happening today.”

“Nigeria is committed to net-zero by 2060. In our lifetime, Lake Chad has gone from a vast expanse of biodiversity to a shadow of itself. We are investing in renewable, hydro dams and solar projects.”

He said Nigeria’s revised National Determined Contributions (NDCs) prioritise sectors that can help the country achieve the transition, referring to the Paris Agreement, which requires nations to shift from fossil fuel to sustainable energy. He did add, though, that the government requires financial assistance and investment to achieve its climate-energy transition goals.

He said: “We are looking for partners in innovation, technology and finance to make cleaner and efficient use of all available resources to help us make a stable transition in the energy market.”

“The revised NDCs has additional priority sectors – water and waste, nature-based solutions, adaptation and resilience, vulnerability assessment, a clean cooking agenda, green job assessment, and a bottom-up renewable energy transition pathway by 2030.”