As part of the effort to strengthen Civil Society Organisations (CSO) voices on climate justice in Nigeria, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has partnered with Ford Foundation to provide funding support for members of the Nigeria Climate Justice Alliance (NCJA).
The Director-General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, said in a statement that seven members of the Alliance have been selected and will be participating at the upcoming 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) taking place in Dubai, UAE, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2023.
Onoja recalled that the Nigeria Climate Justice Alliance was launched in Abuja in July 2023, with the objective of strengthening and raising CSOs’ voices on climate justice in Nigeria through delivering climate actions that benefit the most vulnerable groups in a just and equitable manner.
He said that members of this Alliance would have the opportunity of a lifetime to meet with world leaders and delegates from around 192 countries who are parties to the Convention and hundreds of observation organisations and international governmental organisations.
According to him, COP28 will create an opportunity for their local voices to be heard at a global stage in Dubai where leaders can be held accountable for their national commitment and ask for more ambitious climate commitment.
The D-G said that NCF, as the secretariat of the NCJA, would coordinate, mobilise, support, and provide guidance for these members throughout their participation in the conference.
He explained that NCJA members would also attend side events, bilateral meetings, and mentorship forums while championing climate justice campaigns and ensuring that nature is prioritised in the climate negotiations.
“For some of the beneficiaries, it will be their first COP experience and they are excited to be selected for this life-changing experience.
“This year COP28 will deliver the final global stock-taking (GST) after the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015 to assess the impact of the world’s climate actions.
“This will provide the opportunity to track how the world is keeping the global average temperatures within the limit of 1.5oC and call on world leaders to ramp up ambitious commitment. Participants are also eager to see the finalisation of the development of the framework the Loss and Damage Fund established in Sham El-Sheikh,” Onoja said.
He added that as the world anticipates a greater COP28 outcome, it is expected that climate negotiators will adopt multilateralism, unite, and act for a better planet.
