Nigeria has set a target to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 32 per cent by 2035, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced yesterday at the Leaders’ Climate Summit during the COP30 conference in Belém, Brazil.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima said the new target reaffirms Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s climate action efforts and reflects a firm commitment to global sustainability.
He explained that the reduction plan will be driven by two flagship initiatives – the National Carbon Market Framework and the Climate Change Fund – both designed to attract billions of dollars in clean energy investments and support climate adaptation across vulnerable communities.
The Vice President noted that Nigeria has also launched a five-year Carbon Market Roadmap to establish an Emissions Trading System and Carbon Tax Regime, encouraging industries to innovate sustainably.
Urging developed nations to match rhetoric with results, Shettima said:
“Let COP30 be remembered as the moment the world moved from pledges to performance, from ambition to action.”
He warned that climate change is already causing devastating loss and displacement globally, adding that developing nations cannot meet climate goals “on goodwill alone.”
“We need a reliable and equitable financial architecture that recognises our realities and empowers us to deliver on global commitments. We are not the problem; we are part of the solution,” he added.
Shettima highlighted Nigeria’s Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which outlines actions across energy, agriculture, transport, waste, and industry.
He also reaffirmed the Decade of Gas Strategy as a transition pathway balancing gas utilisation with solar expansion to drive rural electrification and sustainable growth.
Other global leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Prince William, also called for urgent collective action to avert irreversible ecological damage.
Nigeria has taken the lead in West Africa’s climate efforts with the early submission of its NDC 3.0 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), positioning the country for new global partnerships and investments.
The Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Mrs. Tenioye Majekodunmi, described Nigeria’s early submission as a “continental milestone in climate ambition and readiness.”
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, Majekodunmi said:
“This is the implementation COP we’ve all been waiting for. For Nigeria, the submission of our NDC 3.0 marks a turning point. It’s time to move from paper to projects.”
She explained that the Federal Government’s approval of the National Carbon Market Framework and the National Climate Change Fund will further boost investor confidence.
“Nigeria is open for high-integrity carbon investments delivering real mitigation and community benefits,” she added.
According to her, the Belém summit provides a unique global matchmaking platform for Nigeria to showcase its readiness for sustainable climate financing.
She also said Nigeria would use COP30 to strengthen South–South cooperation, particularly among the Amazon, Congo, and Guinea forest regions, to advance global forest protection and the Belém agenda.
Nkwocha added that Nigeria’s participation underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on climate action.
“For Nigeria, it’s not just about attendance; it’s about demonstrating leadership and implementing Article 13 of the Paris Accord on transparency and climate responsibility,” Nkwocha stated.
Vice President Shettima is expected to join global leaders, development partners, and investors in high-level sessions on “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans” and will deliver Nigeria’s national climate address at the leaders’ plenary later this week.
