Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after a significant diplomatic mission to Brazil, where he represented Nigeria at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30). The high-level meetings, held from November 6 to 7, 2025, in Belém, positioned Nigeria to spearhead environmental action across the African continent.
Nigeria's Pledge at the Global Summit
At the Leaders’ Climate Summit, Vice President Shettima underscored Nigeria's renewed and serious commitment to its climate agenda. He described it as a solemn national commitment to preserve the planet for future generations. Representing President Bola Tinubu, Shettima also delivered Nigeria's country statement, titled “The Rational Soul of Nature,” at a high-level thematic dialogue focused on “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans.”
During his address, the Vice President called on global partners to acknowledge the economic value of nature and to direct substantial, predictable, and fair financial resources towards protecting and reviving the world's ecosystems. His itinerary also included participation in the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Fund and a roundtable on Climate and Nature chaired by Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Unlocking Billions in Carbon Finance
A major outcome from the conference's sidelines was the series of bilateral talks focused on enabling Nigeria's participation in international carbon markets. This initiative is projected to unlock a significant stream of climate finance for the nation, estimated at between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually over the next ten years. This funding is crucial for supporting Nigeria's national climate goals.
Rukaiya El-Rufai, the Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, who accompanied the delegation, emphasized the importance of Nigeria's engagements. She stated that the country's presence in Belém sent a strong signal of Nigeria's continental leadership on climate issues.
A Continental Leadership Role
El-Rufai further elaborated that Nigeria plans to use its influential position within bodies like ECOWAS and the African Union to mobilize climate finance and advocate for increased adaptation funding for African nations. Nigeria has already submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an action that places it ahead of many other countries, including China and the European Union, who have only recently submitted theirs.
She highlighted Nigeria's Climate Change Act and its carbon market framework as evidence of this leadership. El-Rufai also pointed to Nigeria's diverse natural resource endowment—including oil, natural gas, and renewables—as key assets for achieving climate targets while simultaneously driving sustainable economic development.
COP30, billed as the “COP of Action and Implementation,” is expected to be a critical juncture for operationalising NDCs and advancing the fulfilment of climate finance pledges, which were recently adjusted from $1.3 trillion to $300 billion in Baku.
