Nigeria Demands Accountability, Transparency In Global Climate Funding

The Nigerian government has demanded accountability and transparency in global climate funding, claiming that Nigeria and the rest of the developing world are fed up with rhetoric and pledges that contradict global warming and climate change.

Speaking in Abuja at the two-day first International Anti-Corruption and Climate Change Conference organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) in collaboration with Hawkmoth and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Ishaq Salako, said in his keynote address that “climate accountability and transparency are critical elements in building trust, credibility, accessing funding and mobilising mass participation.”

“I urge the world’s developed countries, which are the primary causes of global warming and climate change, to be more transparent and accountable in their climate funding.”

He stated, “The developing world, the most impacted victims of climate change, are growing tired of rhetoric and pledges that are frequently out of proportion to the problem and remain largely unfulfilled.”

The minister, who was represented by Mrs Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director, Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, added: “For us in the Global South, we need to put more structures in place to prioritise climate actions and improve climate accountability and transparency.”

He emphasised that the challenges of climate change and energy transition necessitate not only novel solutions, but also a strong commitment to ethical governance.

He stated, “Transparency and accountability are the foundations of sustainable development, and it is only through collaborative efforts like this conference that we can achieve a more just and sustainable future.”

Salako stated that the interconnected nature of climate challenges highlights the need for a comprehensive, cross-sector approach to addressing them.

He did, however, state that “as challenging and acute as the climate change crisis is, it cannot enjoy exclusive access to funding and attention and must compete with other critical sectors for financing.”

He stated that: “A sound transparency and accountability framework for climate change is critical for sustainable climate action through better coordination, improved decision-making processes and spending allocations, better monitoring and evaluation of mitigation and adaptation results against established climate goals, enhanced identification of responsible stakeholders, coherence and harmonisation of country assistance, and finally, improved access to finance domestically.”

Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman of the HEDA Resource Centre, emphasised the importance of learning from past mistakes as Nigeria transitions from oil and gas to new energy sources such as lithium and solar energy.

He warned against repeating the exploitation and mismanagement that plagued the oil sector, instead urging the government to focus on long-term development that benefits all regions of the country.

Suraju also advocated for the implementation of accountability mechanisms to ensure a responsible transition to new energy sources.