Nigeria working on transitioning to low carbon economy, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment towards achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

The Paris agreement, which was adopted by 197 countries in 2015, aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change.

Speaking on Friday at the 76th session of the United Nations general assembly in New York, US, the president said Nigeria is working on transitioning to a low carbon economy — an economy that has less greenhouse gas emissions.

Buhari said the preservation of the planet is necessary for the world’s “collective survival”.

He said Nigeria needs to build a climate-resilient economy, as it is experiencing different manifestations of the climate crisis, such as conflict, flooding, drought, desertification, and food insecurity.

He charged world leaders to make policies that are inclusive and gender-sensitive in a bid to address issues of climate action. 

“The impact of climate change is already with us in Nigeria, manifesting in various ways: conflicts trigger; food insecurity, drying up of lakes; loss of livelihood, and youth migration, among others. The trend is the same in many other countries that are threatened by forest fires, rising sea levels, drought and desertification,” Buhari said. 

“In these circumstances, we intend to build a climate-resilient economy that effectively aligns with the SDGs and that has great potential to unlock the full opportunities in different sectors of the economy, while protecting the resources for present and future generations. I know, in several ways, this is also a familiar story in many countries.

“As leaders, we must create inclusive and gender-sensitive policies that address all issues connected to climate action, from mitigation to resilience.

“Nigeria believes that protecting our planet and its biodiversity and climate are important to our collective survival. That is why, we are working on a transition to low carbon economy, consistent with achieving the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.”