June 10, (THEWILL)- In his commitment to actualise Nigeria’s green industrial vision, boost investor confidence, and unlock sustainable economic value through various climate finance instruments, President Bola Tinubu has approved key strategic appoints into the National Council on Climate Change; Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP); Climate Finance & Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the President; Climate Finance & Stakeholder/Donor Relations and Climate Technology and operations.
According to by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Sunday, the appointees are Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe, who will serve as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) in an interim capacity, pending the confirmation of her appointment by the NCCC Supervisory Council.
Dr. Maduekwe, will also double as the Co-Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP)
Dr Maduekwe, 39, holds a Bachelor of Law degree; a Master’s degree in Environmental Law & Policy from the University of Dundee (UK), and a Doctorate degree in Law from the University of Hull (UK), is to serve
Dr. Maduekwe has over 15 years of national and international experience in climate policy development and project implementation. She previously served as Nigeria’s National Coordinator, Climate Parliament. Climate Parliament is an international, multi-partisan network of legislators working worldwide to help solve the climate crisis and accelerate the transition to renewable energy. He was also the legal adviser to the NCCC Director-General.
For the office of Climate Finance & Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the President, Tinubu approved the appointment of Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi Shelleng, 40, as the Senior Special Assistant to the President
He is seconded to the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) Secretariat, where he will handle all matters related to
Also, Mr. Shelleng is to assume the position of Secretary of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP) and serve as a member of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, as well as the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
Mr. Shelleng, who holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has served in leading roles across multiple financial institutions and was Head of Business Development for the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company PLC (NMRC) before his appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the President.
On the office of Climate Technology and Operations, Office of the President, President Tinubu approved the appointment of Mr. Olamide Fagbuji, 44, as the Senior Special Assistant to the
He is seconded to the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) Secretariat, where he will oversee the digitalisation of a new open procurement process and cross-departmental procedural optimization initiative.
Mr. Fagbuji served as Special Assistant to the President on Economic Matters under the previous administration and was most recently the Technical Adviser to the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) on Policy Research and Strategy. He is a policy analyst and computer scientist.
While all the appointments take immediate effect, the statement added that the “President expects the new appointees to bring their expertise and discipline to bear in these very important assignments in pursuance of the nation’s aspiration on green industrial development and climate action for sustainable growth and national prosperity”.
Tinubu also on Sunday approved a mandate for the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC), office of SPEC and expanded the Green Economy Committee membership.
According to Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), on Sunday, the Presidential approval is in furtherance of his establishment of the Office of SPEC and to bring clarity to the functions of the office within the climate and green economy ecosystem.
THEWILL recalls that President Bola Tinubu had on May 19, 2024, appointed Ajuri Ngelale, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, as Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action to ensure the advancement of his administration’s climate and green economy initiatives.
By the President’s directive, the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action shall be:
(1) The lead negotiator on climate-related matters on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, reporting directly to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(2) The lead negotiator on carbon market and management initiatives on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a mandate to integrate the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on National Carbon Market Activation Plan (NCMAP) into the climate action plans of the Federal Government of Nigeria, reporting directly to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(3) The supervising interface between the Secretariat of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and the NCCC Supervising Council, which is chaired by the President.
(4) Coordinator of all climate action-related activities across Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, legislative, and subnational entities which directly impact the President’s climate action and green economic agenda with a mandate to directly engage other nations, international organisations, and non-governmental entities to build coalitions and advance global climate goals in accordance with Nigeria’s national interest.
(5) The focal point of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s engagement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, and other related international meetings on climate-related and green economic matters.
(6) The coordinator of activities of all relevant Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies towards the successful fulfilment of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
(7) The secretary of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, which is chaired by the President.
(8) The chief diplomat and lead representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on all climate-related engagements and negotiations while supervising the Energy Transition Office.
(9) The focal-point authority on all non-executive activities related to the operations of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) with delegated authority to oversee the activities and operations of the NCCC secretariat for frequent reporting to the President in between meetings of the NCCC Supervisory Council.
(10) The lead interface on engagements with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Power, Federal Ministry of Environment, and other critical Federal Government of Nigeria institutions concerning the administration and coordination of climate-related donor finance, renewable energy finance and green industrial growth management.
(11) Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
President Tinubu also approved the expansion of the membership of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions (P-CAGE).
The committee comprises the following additional members: Representative, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Representative, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Representative, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Representative, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science & Technology, Representative, NNPCL; Special Assistant to the President on Energy Transition, Ms. Yasmin Mohammed, and Representative, Energy Transition Office, Mr. Somkele Awa-Kalu.
The Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions is set to be inaugurated in July.
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