President Bola Tinubu has emphasised Nigeria’s requirement for global financial and technological cooperation to revive Lake Chad and combat the fast expansion of desertification in the North-East region.
In an op-ed on CNN, the President highlighted Nigeria’s involvement in the energy transition in Africa and around the world, urging advanced economies to fulfil their $100 billion annual climate financing commitment to developing nations.
The President also discussed the consequences of the gradual decline of Lake Chad on the political and security conditions in the Sahel region.
President Tinubu justified the financial support by highlighting that African countries have made minimal contributions to the global climate crisis, yet they bear the brunt of its consequences.
He stated, “The rapid loss of water resources and the escalating rate of desertification are closely tied to the Sahel crisis, which is characterized by the emergence of extremist and authoritarian elements.”
“The startling loss of 90% of Lake Chad over the past three decades is a perfect example of this. We seek urgent international collaboration in both financing and technology toward the total recharge and recovery of this critical body of water.”
He also outlined Nigeria’s efforts to combat climate change and achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by 2060. These efforts include mobilizing young people to plant approximately 250,000 trees each year, with a target of 25 million trees by 2050.
Nigeria is implementing the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan (NETP) and collaborating with advanced economies to reduce gas flaring while promoting the use of gas as an energy source.
The President also emphasised his recent participation at the G20 in Berlin, his efforts to utilize the EU’s Global Gateway program, and the US Build Back Better World initiative as tactics to create a green economy not only for Nigeria but for the entire continent of Africa.
He noted that unlike many European countries and advanced economies that will have to close down coal plants during their transition to clean energy, Africa does not need to do so, which gives the continent a strategic advantage.
He stated, “Nigeria and much of Africa possess a unique advantage; we do not need to decommission coal-fired power plants. We have an unparalleled opportunity to leapfrog decades of conventional, high-emission industry by building our industrial future on a new green foundation.”
Lake Chad is a crucial water source for fishing, crop farming, and livestock production in the countries surrounding it, including Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Niger. Unfortunately, the lake has experienced a significant decline in water levels, losing nearly 90% of its water since the 1960s. This decline can be attributed to desertification and the effects of climate change.
