In a bid to enhance climate governance across Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) have jointly announced a pioneering project to evaluate and rank the climate governance performance of the country’s 36 states.
Scheduled for July 2024, the initiative aims to provide a comprehensive assessment that highlights states’ efforts in addressing climate change impacts and implementing sustainable policies.
The decision to undertake the evaluation was reached during an inaugural coordination meeting of climate change desk officers from Nigerian states, hosted by the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in Abuja.
Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, President of SPP, emphasized that the project builds upon previous efforts, including the mapping of climate change impacts, policies, and actions across states in collaboration with the DCC and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
According to Prof. Okereke, the upcoming project will yield a consolidated report offering a unified rating and ranking of all 36 states based on five key governance criteria including climate change governance administrative structure and presence of climate policy and action plan.
Others are the extent of climate change project implementation, incorporation of climate finance in state budgets and online visibility of the state’s climate activities.
”The rating and ranking process will rely on inputs gathered from commissioners, permanent secretaries, and climate desk officers across all states.
”These inputs will undergo rigorous verification by both the research team and DCC staff to ensure accuracy and reliability of the assessment,” Prof. Okereke added.
He reiterated the significance of the initiative in promoting accountability and fostering healthy competition among states to excel in climate governance.
”By highlighting best practices and identifying areas needing improvement, the project aims to spur enhanced climate action nationwide.
”The collaborative effort between the Federal Ministry of Environment, SPP, and other stakeholders signifies a proactive step towards achieving sustainable development goals and strengthening Nigeria’s resilience to climate change impacts.
”The outcomes of this evaluation are anticipated to guide policy decisions and resource allocations, thereby contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for all Nigerians,” he concluded.
