The Ministry of Information and National Orientation has clarified that the federal government did not sponsor all 1,411 Nigerian delegates to the Convention of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai.
In a statement released Monday, the information minister, Mohammed Idris, clarified that the delegates on the government’s tab were 422.
These comprise 67 presidency delegates, 32 from the National Council on Climate Change, and 34 from the Ministry of Environment.
Others are:
– Other ministries – 167
– Vice President’s office – 9
– National Assembly – 40
– Federal parastatals and agencies – 73
The ministry justified Nigeria’s large delegation by stating its significant stake in climate action due to its “substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change,” besides being Africa’s biggest economy and the continent’s most populous country.
It added that Nigeria’s representation aligned with its “status as Africa’s leading sovereign voice and player in climate action.”
