Nigeria has reaffirmed its pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2060, outlining new strategies to accelerate its energy transition.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Faruk Yusuf, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, disclosed this commitment during the High-Level Leaders’ Event at the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to Tinubu, the transition plan aims to strike a balance between economic growth, employment security, and environmental protection. He emphasized that despite Nigeria’s relatively small contribution to global emissions, its citizens face some of the toughest climate impacts, making climate justice a key priority.
Nigeria has already taken legislative steps, such as the Climate Change Act of 2021, and is preparing to launch a comprehensive Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) in 2025. The plan will include an economy-wide roadmap for decarbonisation.
Key areas of focus include scaling up gas-to-power initiatives, boosting solar and wind projects under the “Mission 300” programme, and rolling out green and blue hydrogen pilots. Utility-scale energy storage projects are also being deployed to strengthen the national grid.
Beyond energy, the government is pushing climate-smart agriculture for smallholder farmers, flood-control systems, resilient housing, and the nationwide distribution of clean cookstoves and LPG cylinders, targeting a 60% reduction in household air pollution by 2030.
On financing, Nigeria plans to mobilize large-scale climate funds within the next five years, allocating at least 40% to adaptation projects in vulnerable communities.
Tinubu also urged African governments to enhance regional electricity networks, expand access to private capital, and deploy innovative financial tools to make green investments less risky.
“Nigeria is ready to turn its climate ambitions into practical, large-scale action through collaboration with fellow African nations, institutions, and development partners,” he said.
