ABUJA/Nigeria: The Niger State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Yakubu Kolo, has urged the Federal Government to make climate financing under Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) practical and accessible to states, stressing that subnationals play a critical role in both the design and implementation of climate action.
Speaking at the National Stakeholders’ NDC 3.0 Validation Workshop organised by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) on August 27, 2025, in Abuja and online, Kolo commended the inclusive process that guided the draft framework but insisted that states’ inputs must be fully reflected in the final document.
“State governments were given the opportunity to provide input which we gladly participated in. We therefore hold the process in high esteem to reflect clarity and transparency in its targets, policies, and measures. But it must go beyond the rituals of collecting input without reflecting them in the final document,” he said.
The Commissioner stressed that the NDC must set clear ambitions that demonstrate leadership, embed stronger adaptation strategies, and provide financing mechanisms that states can practically access and utilise. He noted that with the September submission deadline approaching, the framework must balance ambition with implementation.
“As the September submission deadline approaches, NDC 3.0 must align ambition with implementation, setting clear targets that are not just impressive on paper but actionable on the ground,” he added.
Kolo, who spoke on behalf of subnational governments, reaffirmed that states must be placed at the centre of implementation, given their frontline role in responding to climate change impacts. “Anything less would betray our people’s yearnings and squander our chance to lead Africa toward a climate-resilient future,” he declared.
The validation workshop brought together representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Development Bank (AfDB), UNICEF, German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), UN Women, International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), civil society organisations, youth, and disability groups.
