Bonn, Germany – June 10, 2024: Nigeria is set to harness substantial climate financing in collaboration with the United States to propel its green industrial agenda in the coming decade. This initiative was highlighted by Ajuri Ngelale, Nigeria’s Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC), during a meeting with Sue Biniaz, the U.S. Head of Delegation to the United Nations Climate Conference and Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate.
Ngelale, speaking at the conference in Bonn, emphasized the importance of Nigeria’s strategic alliance with the U.S. in realizing the country’s ambitious goal of becoming a green industrial leader. “I greatly valued the productive discussions today with the U.S. delegation, led by Ms. Sue Biniaz. We explored concrete steps towards leveraging large-scale climate financing to advance Nigeria’s green industrial ambitions over the next ten years,” he said.
The meeting underscored the shared commitment to extending the mutually beneficial cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, focusing on fostering a sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial sector. Ngelale remarked, “Our ties with the United States will deeply support Nigeria’s vision to become a green industrial powerhouse. We have significant work ahead to establish new mechanisms for the transparent and innovative allocation of resources, aimed at attracting de-risked investment capital globally.”
Ngelale expressed confidence in Nigeria’s Climate Action team’s ability to meet these ambitious targets. “I am confident in our team’s capacity to deliver on this mandate. We will take it one step at a time,” he added.
Sue Biniaz was accompanied by Trigg Talley, Managing Director for Negotiations and Director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Global Change. The meeting focused on tangible next steps for utilizing climate financing instruments to support Nigeria’s green industrial objectives.
President Bola Tinubu has tasked Ngelale with serving as Nigeria’s Chief diplomat on all climate-related engagements and supervising the Energy Transition Office. As the lead negotiator on climate matters, SPEC is responsible for overseeing interactions with the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and its Supervising Council, chaired by the President.
Ngelale’s mandate includes coordinating Nigeria’s climate action activities, engaging with other nations, international organizations, and NGOs to build coalitions that advance global climate goals, while prioritizing Nigeria’s national interests.
This partnership marks a significant step in Nigeria’s journey towards becoming a global leader in green industry, with the support of the United States enhancing its capability to secure and effectively deploy climate finance.