Nigeria’s efforts to integrate climate change actions into its national development priorities have continued to earn international recognition, according to Rep. Sir Sam Onuigbo, a member of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
Speaking with journalists in Abuja ahead of the Pre-COP30 Parliamentary Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which opens today, August 27, 2025, Onuigbo said the country has shown strong determination to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy at a time when the world is battling desertification, environmental degradation, forced migration, insecurity, and depletion of water bodies.
Onuigbo, one of 39 resource persons scheduled to deliver papers at the high-level forum, emphasized that the gathering must not be treated as a mere talk shop.
He explained that Nigeria’s participation reflects the world’s growing interest in the country’s strategic leadership on climate action.
The former federal lawmaker, who sponsored Nigeria’s landmark Climate Change Act of 2021, noted that the country has been at the forefront of advocating for climate justice and is leveraging the Act to implement sustainability strategies rooted in REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
“REDD+ is anchored in Articles 5 and 6 of the Paris Agreement. Article 5 recognizes the critical role of forests in climate mitigation, while Article 6 establishes frameworks for voluntary cooperation, including market and non-market mechanisms”, Onuigbo explained.
He highlighted that under Article 6.2, countries can trade verified emission reductions as Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs); Article 6.4 establishes a centralized crediting mechanism supervised by the UNFCCC; and Article 6.8 provides for non-market approaches such as capacity building, technology transfer, and finance.
According to him, REDD+ serves as both a results-based finance instrument and a potential source of high-integrity carbon credits under Article 6, giving countries like Nigeria a practical path to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Onuigbo, who was named among Business Insider’s “30 Top Global Climate Leaders” in 2023, also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sustaining Nigeria’s momentum on climate sustainability.
He maintained that Nigeria’s participation at the Rio forum is a strong signal of the country’s readiness to lead conversations on just energy transition and carbon reduction as the world prepares for COP30.
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