President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria would take a significant step towards a sustainable and eco-friendly future by introducing a pioneering initiative to deploy a fleet of 100 electric buses.
Tinubu said this during a meeting with stakeholders and investors on the Nigeria Carbon Market and Electric Buses Rollout Programme, on the margins of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday.
President Tinubu explained that the initiative is aimed at reducing Nigeria’s carbon footprint and modernising the country’s transportation systems as part of a larger effort to position Nigeria and Africa as the pioneering frontier of green manufacturing and industrialisation with a focus on natural gas as a transition fuel alongside other renewable energy sources.
To spearhead the transformative plan, the president announced the appointment of the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dahiru Salisu, to co-chair the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan.
“This initiative stands as a testament to our dedication to environmental stewardship as clearly exemplified through our collaboration with the Africa Carbon Market Initiative.
“Our visionary plan is a strategic guidepost, directing Nigeria towards becoming an investment-friendly destination for carbon market investments.
“We recognise the imperative of fostering an environment that not only attracts investment but also upholds standardised and sustainable industrial practices.
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“As a manifestation of our forward-thinking approach, we are actively looking to implement robust, enabling policies and frameworks that will serve as the catalyst for the burgeoning growth of the carbon market within our national borders.
“In further driving my commitment, I have recently approved an Inter-governmental Committee on Carbon Markets to be chaired by the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change to drive this visionary plan,” President Tinubu was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
The president assured prospective investors that this initiative transcends being a mere pilot project, saying: “It is a concrete manifestation of our unwavering dedication to a carbon-neutral future. I assure you; this is only the commencement of our ambitious plans, with many more impactful initiatives on the horizon.”
President Tinubu, while acknowledging the pressing need for a comprehensive global collaboration on climate-related challenges, called on global partners to join hands in accelerating collective efforts towards a net-zero future.
In his remarks, the FIRS chairman acknowledged the visionary leadership of President Tinubu as the “guiding force behind Nigeria’s commitment to harnessing its vast carbon potential”.
Adedeji pledged the commitment of the committee to drive the implementation of efficient policies and frameworks to achieve sustainable carbon market growth.
Reiterating Nigeria’s readiness to lead the global effort to combat climate change, Adedeji described the initial phase of the rollout of the electric buses as a tangible symbol of Nigeria’s commitment to modernising its transportation systems while reducing Africa’s modest carbon footprint.
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