By Danjuma Amodu
In a bold move to strengthen Nigeria’s climate accountability, the Federal Government has inaugurated the Project Steering Committee [PSC] for the Global Environment Facility [GEF] – Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency project.
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Project Steering Committee [PSC] for the Global Environment Facility [GEF] – Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency project in Nigeria, a move aimed at improving how the country tracks, manages, and reports greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions under the Paris Agreement.
The inaugural meeting, held in Abuja, was convened by the Department of Forestry in the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the GEF, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations [FAO], and the Nigeria Conservation Foundation [NCF].
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT PLEDGES COORDINATION AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT Delivering his remarks on behalf of the Director of Forestry, Deputy Director, Department of Forestry, Aiwuyo Christopher, thanked stakeholders and partners for backing Nigeria’s climate transparency agenda. He singled out FAO for its technical and institutional support and commended NCF for taking up the role of Co-Executing Agency.
“As you are aware, the CBIT project was established under the Global Environment Facility in response to decisions reached at COP 21 in Paris, with the aim of supporting countries to meet the enhanced transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement,” Christopher said. “For Nigeria, this project represents a critical step towards improving our capacity to generate, manage, and report credible GHG data across key sectors.”
He said the Department of Forestry, as Lead Executing Agency, will provide coordination, technical guidance, and institutional support, but stressed that results will depend on quality data and cooperation from Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use [AFOLU], Energy, Transport, Industrial Processes and Product Use , and Waste sectors.
“The establishment of this Project Steering Committee is both timely and strategic,” he added. “The PSC is expected to provide overall policy guidance, ensure effective oversight, and facilitate inter-agency coordination. This project will strengthen institutional frameworks for GHG data management, enhance technical capacity, and support a robust, web-based platform for transparent data sharing.”
GEF FOCAL PERSON: PSC IS ‘ENGINE OF OWNERSHIP’ FOR TRANSPARENCY SYSTEM
Babagana Bukar, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics and GEF Operational Focal Person for Nigeria, described the PSC as “the engine of ownership” for Nigeria’s climate transparency systems.
“Transparency is not paperwork. It is the backbone of credible climate action,” Bukar said. “Quality data on emissions, adaptation, and support received helps us plan better, attract finance, and show the world the scale of Nigeria’s ambition and progress. We provide strategic direction, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure alignment with national priorities like the Energy Transition Plan, NDC, and sectoral policies.”
Bukar warned that Nigeria has a narrow window to put systems in place before the first Biennial Transparency Report cycle. “The foundation we lay now will shape Nigeria’s credibility and access to support for the next decade,” he said, thanking the GEF Secretariat for funding, FAO for technical backstopping, and NCF and MDAs for their commitment.
FAO REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO DATA-DRIVING CLIMATE ACTION
Representing the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dr. Hussein Gadain, Dr. Adesoji Adedoyin reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to supporting the Paris Agreement through data-driven decision-making and stronger partnerships.
“The goal of CBIT is to assist countries in meeting Enhanced Transparency Framework requirements and strengthening capacities for monitoring environmental emissions within key GHG-emitting sectors,” Adedoyin said. “This can be achieved through collaboration with the GEF, the Nigerian Government, and other stakeholders to deliver measurable climate action results.”
NCF CALLS FOR UNIFIED APPROACH TO AVOID DUPLICATION
Joseph Onoja, Director-General of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation, said NCF’s role as Co-Executing Agency reflects a shared commitment to impact.
“Our focus remains on building sustainable systems that allow us to reflect on progress with pride,” Onoja stated. “By strengthening collaboration and embracing synergy across sectors, we can avoid duplication of efforts and instead create unified and effective approaches. Initiatives such as these must be supported by coordinated action and a shared vision.”
NCCC: PROJECT TO BUILD FOUNDATION FOR INFORMED DECISION-MAKING
Ann Umar, representing the National Council on Climate Change , said the project’s core target is a strong data-driven foundation. “The goal is to support informed decision-making, enhance climate initiatives, and ensure long-term sustainability,” she said.
The Department of Forestry said it will work closely with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, especially the National Council on Climate Change, to deliver credible, transparent, and timely GHG data in line with international standards.
PROJECT STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTION FRAMEWORK
The CBIT project is funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented with FAO support. The Department of Forestry serves as Lead Executing Agency, with NCF as Co-Executing Agency.
The Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency was created by the GEF after COP21 in Paris to help countries meet tougher reporting rules under the Paris Agreement. For Nigeria, it means shifting from estimates to verifiable systems for measuring emissions across AFOLU, Energy, Transport, IPPU, and Waste — a step officials say is key to climate credibility and access to global finance.
