President Bola Tinubu, while attending a panel session titled "Ensuring More Reliable, Comparable Information and Data" in Paris, France, emphasised the commitment of Nigeria and other African nations to tackle the interconnected issues of climate change, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development.
The panel session included notable figures such as David Craig, Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD); Mark Carney, Co-Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ); Mary Schapiro, Vice-Chair of Global Public Policy at Bloomberg; Sabine Mauderer, Vice-Chair of the Network for Greening the Financial System; and United Nations Special Envoy, Catherine Mckenna.
During the session, Ambassador Adamu Ahmed represented President Tinubu and conveyed his message. President Tinubu praised President Macron's initiative to address poverty alongside environmental concerns and emphasised the importance of this summit focusing on climate, people, and diversity.
President Tinubu acknowledged the economic challenges African countries faced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed the need to shift the focus from relying solely on public resources to mobilising private capital. African nations must compete globally and adapt to new approaches in order to overcome economic difficulties.
He expressed support for President Macron's proposal to establish the Net-Zero Data Public Utility (NZDPU), considering it an invaluable resource that would greatly benefit African countries by providing an open and free repository of data.
President Tinubu conveyed the African continent's message of readiness to collaborate with the international community. He highlighted the shift from mere commitments to concrete transition plans, citing Nigeria's Climate Change Act enacted in 2021 as an example. This act established the Climate Change Council, led by the president, and facilitated the creation of a climate change fund and a National Action Plan on climate change.
These measures outline Nigeria's roadmap towards achieving the net-zero target, with a goal set for 2060, acknowledging the substantial challenges the country faces. President Tinubu also mentioned the formation of regional partnerships among African nations.