Nigeria Pledges Net-Zero Emissions By 2060

Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari said during the COP26 climate summit that Nigeria will cut its carbon emission to net-zero by 2060.

According to Buhari, climate change is not a problem of the future but rather something that the citizens of Nigeria are facing right now.

“Desertification in the north, drought in the center, and pollution in the coast are enough evidence for all to see, Nigeria is committed to net-zero by 2060.

“In our lifetime, Lake Chad has gone from an adverse expanse of biodiversity to a shadow of itself. We are investing in renewed growth, hydro dams, and solar projects – Nigeria is not looking to make the same mistake that will be suffered in the future,” he said.

The Nigerian president added that the government was looking for partners, technology, and financing to make cleaner and efficient use of all available resources for a more stable transition in energy markets.

Buhari further stated that, even though parties to the Paris agreement are expected to transition from fossil fuel to clean energy and reach a net-zero ambition for greenhouse gas emission, Nigeria is more of a gas than oil-producing country and requires financing of projects using transition fuel such as gas.

He claimed that Nigeria can continue to use gas until 2040 without detracting from the goals of the Paris agreement.

It is worth noting that the revised national policy on climate change was approved in June 2021. As part of its plan, Nigeria plans to electrify 5 million households and 25 million people using decentralized solar energy solutions which should be a major step towards closing the country’s energy access deficit by 2030.

Nigeria has also pledged to end deforestation by 2030 as part of its measures to fight climate change.

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