Joseph Bakare
The United Nations (UN) has expressed concerns over the large population of Nigerians living without access to electricity.
The UN, said that sixty per cent of the world’s best solar resources are on this continent and by 2040, Africa could generate ten times more electricity than it needs, entirely from renewables, and yet Africa now receives just two per cent of global clean energy investment.
Speaking at the LEADERSHIP Newspapers award ceremony in Abuja, Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, however noted, “And here in Nigeria, more than 86 million people still have no access to electricity at all.”
The deputy scribe, said however, Nigeria is responding to this challenge the right way and that under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria has developed a best-in-class action plan for climate, one that treats climate not as a constraint but as an engine for growth.
By placing energy access, climate-smart agriculture, clean cooking, and water management at the heart of its development agenda, Nigeria is showing what serious climate leadership looks like but Nigeria cannot close the climate action gap alone, stated Mohammed.
Speaking further, Mohammed added, “Developed countries must the triple adaptation financing, we need for serious contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund, and mobilize 300 billion dollars per year by 2035 for developing countries to succeed. Early warning systems need to reach everyone, so that communities have the means to prepare for climate shocks before they hit.
And as Africa drives the global renewables revolution, including through its critical minerals, Africans must be the first and primary beneficiaries of the wealth that they generate.”