By Iliya Kure
Nigeria has announced its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) of 20 per cent unconditional and 45 per cent conditional Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emission reduction post 2020 to address climate change.
This are deliberate commitment expected from countries ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding in Paris, beginning November 30.
A statement by Spokesman of Nigerian President, Femi Adeshina says the country’s INDC was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 26 and submitted to the UNFCCC on November 28.
India submitted its document on October 1, with many other countries submitting theirs over 90 days ago, but Nigeria is just announcing its submission.
The statement did not spell out steps the country will take in curbing out the emission, but said the action “represents a fair and meaningful contribution to address climate change and equally reaffirms President Buhari’s commitment to an economic transformation which places inclusive, green growth as key priority for this administration.
“President Buhari is fully aware of the acute threat that climate change poses to Nigeria’s development through flooding, desertification and insecurity, and many of these accrue from weather-related natural disasters.”
The statement highlighted that in Paris, Lake Chad’s current depletion will be the focus of a meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Summit of Heads of State and Government, which President Buhari will attend with Nigeria’s delegation on Tuesday, December 1.
“The Lake Chad is currently less than 10 per cent of its original size and little of the remaining waters is in Nigeria. Of an estimated 20 million people that lived on the Lake Chad Basin as at 2013, about 11.7 million were in the North Eastern region of Nigeria.
“Also during the conference in Paris, President Buhari is scheduled to participate in the launching of International Solar Alliance by the Indian Prime Minister and the French President, where he will seek international partnerships to deliver Nigeria’s climate change response.”
