By Abimbola Ogunnaike
President Bola Tinubu has appointed his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, as Nigeria’s Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action.
This was as he established a 25-person committee to oversee the country’s green economic initiatives.
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation revealed the development in a statement signed Sunday,19 May, 2024 by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen.
“Ngelale will serve in this role as part of a larger Presidential Committee, to be chaired by the President. Ngelale will retain his role as the Official Spokesperson of the President and Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity while serving on the committee,” it added.
The statement is titled, ‘President Tinubu establishes a committee to oversee green economic initiatives, appoints Chief Ajuri Ngelale as special envoy on climate action.’
Imohsien said the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions will “coordinate and oversee all policies and programmes on climate action and green economic development.”
“This is to remove the constraints to coordination, foster a whole-of-government approach to climate-action programmes, provide an efficient governance architecture, and ensure that all relevant institutions in the sector are plugged into the President’s vision and are collectively implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda on climate action,” it further explained.
The new committee which has the President as its Chairman also includes the Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Lawal as its Vice-Chairman, and Mr. Ajuri Ngelale as its Secretary/Special Presidential Envoy.
Members are the CEOs of, InfraCorp, Mr. Lazarus Angbazo; National Council on Climate Change, Mr. Salisu Dahiru; Infrastructure Council Regulatory Commission, Mr. Michael Ohiani, Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, Mrs. Aisha Rimi and National Social Investment Fund, Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq.
The committee also consists of the CEOs of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Mr Yusuf Maina-Bukar, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mr Abdullahi Mustapha; Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu; CreditCorp, Uzoma Nwagba, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Khalil Halilu Member, Solid Minerals Development Fund, Fatima Shinkafi; CBN Deputy Governor (Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate) Mr Bala Bello; UN SE4ALL, Lolade Abiola; Member and an Adviser to the NCCC Adviser, Teni Majekodunmi.
Others are representatives of the Federal Ministries of FCT, Finance, Industry, Trade & Investment, Water Resources, and Agriculture & Food Security.
The committee also consists of representatives from the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Service.
The OSGF outlined eight objectives of the Presidential Committee. They are to:
“Identify, develop, and implement innovative non-oil & non-gas climate action initiatives.
“Coordinate all activities of relevant federal institutions towards the attainment of all agreed climate action and green economic objectives and non-oil/non-gas ambitions of the federal government.
“Collaborate with all relevant government, subnational governments, non-government, and civil society entities towards the attainment of the climate action objectives and ambitions of the federal government.
“Collaborate with national governments and multilateral institutions towards the attainment of the climate action objectives and carbon market ambitions of the federal government.
“Monitor, evaluate, and guide the progress of all climate action and renewable energy projects and activities of the federal government.
“Track and guide the implementation of initiatives and developments conducted by the Energy Transition Working Group.
“Supervise the work of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen and
“Prepare a half-yearly green ambitions update, covering all associated climate action achievements of the federal government.”
Imohiosen noted that President Tinubu remains committed to achieving Nigeria’s green economy objectives on the path of a just energy transition while unlocking new investments in this critical sector that is central to the nation’s economic future.
