The Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Niger State, Hon.Yakubu Kolo, has called for climate financing under Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) to be made practical and accessible to states, stressing that subnationals hold a central role in both design and implementation.
Kolo made the call at the National Stakeholders’ NDC 3.0 Validation Workshop, organised by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), held on August 27, 2025, in Abuja and online, with stakeholders drawn from government, development partners, civil society, and the private sector.
The workshop provided an update on Nigeria’s draft NDC 3.0 in preparation for the National Executive’s approval and subsequent submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Kolo commended the inclusive and participatory process that guided the development of NDC 3.0, noting that states had been given opportunities to provide input.
He, however, stressed the need for those contributions to be adequately reflected in the final document.
“State governments were given the opportunity to provide input which we gladly participated in. We therefore hold the process in high esteem to reflect clarity and transparency in its targets, policies, and measures.
“But it must go beyond the rituals of collecting input without reflecting them in the final document,” he said.
The Commissioner emphasised that the new NDC must set clear ambitions that reflect leadership, embed stronger adaptation strategies, and ensure financing mechanisms that state governments can practically access and utilise.
“As the September submission deadline approaches, NDC 3.0 must align ambition with implementation, setting clear targets that are not just impressive on paper but actionable on the ground,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of subnational governments, Hon. Kolo reaffirmed that the NDC must be ambitious, inclusive, and credible, with states at the centre of implementation, given their frontline role in tackling climate change impacts.
“Anything less would betray our people’s yearnings and squander our chance to lead Africa toward a climate-resilient future,” he concluded.
The validation workshop brought together representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Development Bank (AfDB), UNICEF, German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), UN Women, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), NGOs, CSOs, youth and disability groups, among others.