_: Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, on Thursday met with the French Development Agency (AFD) as part of efforts to accelerate the commencement of Nigeria’s green industrial and emission migration.
Ngelale said that the meeting was on the sidelines of the 15th years of the activities of the AFD in the country.
He said that the AFD was a valued partner in the rollout of Nigeria’s actionable plans to create wealth and prosperity for the people as the central focus of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
‘We are determined to ensure that our cherished partners, such as the AFD, are supported by Nigerian institutions that are credible and function according to world-leading standards of transparency and efficiency.’
AFD is a public financial institution that is entrusted with the role of the main operator for France’s cooperation policy.
It combines the functions of development bank and implementing agency for France’s Official Development Assistance policy.
Ngelale,
who was at the meeting the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, and NCCC Director-General, Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe, had been engaged in such diplomatic moves recently.
The envoy had met with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, in New York on the first leg of the engagements.
Ngelale said that the meeting with Mohammed was aimed at deepening collaboration with critical stakeholders on the existential matter on the Nigeria’s new climate policies.
He also met with a sector-wide technical working group of the U.S. State Department at U.S. State Department Headquarters in Washington D.C.
‘I presented Nigeria’s green industrial plans and discussed our participation in the Energy Transition Accelerator, Methane reduction programme, as well as our Carbon Market and Management Initiatives, and updates on our NDCs, amongst other important matters,’ he said.
Similarly, he met with Mr Landon Derentz of the Global Energy Centre of the Washington-based Atlantic Council
on Wednesday in Washington D.C.
He said that the meeting centred on a productive and incisive discussion with Nigeria’s new reforms and programmes tabled.
‘As a key stakeholder in the global climate action and finance ecosystem, we shared views about green industry and carbon capture technology manufacturing and implementation in Nigeria moving forward. Exciting times ahead for Africa’s most populous nation.’
President Tinubu had approved the establishment of a committee to oversee the Green Economic Initiative, known as the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions.
Tinubu also approved the appointment of Ngelale as Special Envoy on Climate Action while retaining his role as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
The Green Economy committee is part of a strategic move of the President to ensure the advancement of his administration’s climate and green economic initiatives.
The committee will coordinate and oversee all the policies and programmes on clim
ate action and green economic development.
It will coordination, foster a whole-of-government approach to climate-action programmes and provide an efficient governance architecture.
Also, the committee will ensure that all the relevant institutions in the sector are plugged into the President’s vision and are collectively implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda on climate action.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria