By Olukayode Idowu
The federal government has demanded for accountability and transparency in the global climate funding, stating that Nigeria and the rest of the developing world are tired of rhetorics and pledges that are variance with 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, in his keynote address said “climate accountability and transparency are critical elements in building trust, credibility, accessing funding and mobilizing mass participation.
“I call on the developed countries of the world who are the principal drivers of global warming and climate change to be more transparent and accountable in their climate funding.”
He said: “The developing world, the he most impacted victims of climate change, are getting wearing of rhetorics and pledges that are often not at scale to the problem and that remains largely unfulfilled.”
The minister who was represented by the Director, Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Mrs Iniobong Abiola-Awe however added that: “For us in the Global South, we need to put more structures in place to prioritize climate actions and enhance climate accountability and transparency.”
He reminded that the challenges of climate change and energy transition require not just innovative solutions but also a firm commitment to ethical governance.
He noted that: “Transparency and accountability are the bedrock of sustainable development, and it is through collaborative efforts like this conference that we can have a more just and sustainable future.”
Salako said that the interconnected nature of climate challenges underscored the need for a comprehensive, all-sector approach to addressing them.
He however said, “As challenging and acute as the climate change crisis is, it cannot enjoy exclusive access to funding and attention and has to compete with other critical sectors for financing.”
He noted that: “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 and internationally.”
The Chairman of HEDA Resource Centre, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, on his part, noted the importance of learning from past mistakes as Nigeria shifts from oil and gas to new energy resources like lithium and solar energy.
He warned against repeating the exploitation and mismanagement that plagued the oil sector, urging the government to focus on sustainable development that benefits all regions of the country.
Suraju also advocated for establishment of accountability mechanisms to ensure a responsible transition to new energy sources
