President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ajuri Ngelale, Nigeria’s Special Envoy on Climate Action, to act as the chief diplomat and lead representative in all climate-related negotiations and engagements. This appointment includes overseeing the Energy Transition Office. The directive, issued on Sunday and signed by Segun Imohiosen, Director Information Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, outlines Ngelale’s extensive responsibilities.
The Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC), led by Ngelale, will be the primary negotiator for climate-related matters, reporting directly to the President. This includes leading efforts in carbon market and management initiatives for Nigeria and integrating the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP) into the nation’s climate strategies.
According to Segun Imohiosen, Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen, these directives are intended to clarify the role of the SPEC office within the climate and green economy ecosystem. The President is also set to inaugurate the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions in July.
Further, the SPEC office will coordinate all interfaces between the Secretariat of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and the NCCC Supervising Council, chaired by the President. Ngelale’s office is tasked with coordinating climate action activities across federal ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as legislative and sub-national entities, to align with the President’s climate action and green economic agenda.
Ngelale’s office will serve as the focal point for Nigeria’s engagement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, and other international forums related to climate and green economic matters. The office will also coordinate activities necessary for fulfilling Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
As the secretary of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, chaired by the President, the SPEC office will lead engagements with critical federal institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria and various ministries. This includes managing climate-related donor finance, renewable energy finance, and promoting green industrial growth.
The SPEC office will have focal-point authority on all non-executive activities related to the operations of the NCCC, with the mandate to frequently report to the President between meetings of the NCCC Supervisory Council.
President Tinubu has also approved the expansion of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions (P-CAGE) to include representatives from key ministries and agencies. This expansion aims to enhance the committee’s capacity to address diverse aspects of climate and energy policy.