Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned from Brazil after representing Nigeria at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, reaffirming the country's commitment to lead Africa's climate action. He highlighted Nigeria's renewed agenda and urged global finance for ecosystems. Engagements included bilateral talks on carbon markets expected to unlock billions in funding.
Vice President Kashim Shettima departed Belém, Brazil, for Abuja following high-level engagements at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), where he represented President Bola Tinubu. The conference, convened by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from November 6 to 7, 2025, in the capital of Pará state in the Brazilian Amazon, focused on climate solutions in collaboration with the United Nations and global partners.
At the Leaders’ Climate Summit, Shettima emphasized Nigeria’s renewed climate agenda, describing it as “a solemn national commitment to preserve the planet for future generations.” He delivered Nigeria’s country statement titled “The Rational Soul of Nature” at the high-level thematic dialogue “Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans,” urging global partners to recognize the economic value of nature and provide significant, predictable, and equitable finance for protecting and restoring ecosystems.
Shettima also participated in the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Fund, a roundtable chaired by President Lula on Climate and Nature, and an Amazonian cocktail reception for heads of delegation. On the sidelines, he held bilateral talks to enable Nigeria’s participation in carbon markets, an initiative projected to unlock between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually in carbon finance over the next decade to support national climate goals.
Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, described Nigeria’s engagements as a strong signal of continental leadership. “One thing the whole world will look out for is Nigeria’s leadership in Africa,” she said. “We must galvanise public and private-sector stakeholders to deliver on our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and make them work for us.”
El-Rufai highlighted Nigeria’s natural resources, including oil, natural gas, and renewables, as key to achieving climate targets while driving sustainable development. “Nature and climate are the very home that sustain our economy and quality of life,” she noted. “This is why responsible use of natural resources is critical to ensure sustainability for future generations.” Nigeria has already submitted its NDCs to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, ahead of many countries like China and the EU, demonstrating leadership through its Climate Change Act and carbon market framework.
Dubbed the “COP of Action and Implementation,” COP30 aims to operationalize NDCs and advance climate finance pledges from Baku, reduced from $1.3 trillion to $300 billion. The Tinubu administration remains committed to long-term value creation, resilience, and policy prioritization in climate and nature sectors, leveraging influence in ECOWAS and the African Union to mobilize finance and adaptation funding for African countries.