Environment
Pan-African Coalition ’ll Advance Just Energy Transition – Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says a Pan-African position articulated and promoted by leaders of the continent on global net-zero emissions target by 2050-2060, will further advance quest for a just energy transition.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement in Abuja, said the vice president said this when he met with diplomats from the G-7 countries comprising the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, France, Japan, and also the Republic of Egypt.
Other global agencies like the United Nations, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), were also in attendance at the meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The vice president, who spoke after a presentation of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, and brief comments by the diplomats and country representatives, said the plan was geared toward the actualisation of a Pan African initiative.
”Developing a common African narrative is absolutely important because it sets the stage in providing a clear vision and a clear objective to have a Pan African initiative.
“The broad-based coalition will ensure that the private sector and government work together in driving the processes and the nuances are adequately taken care of.
“It is important that we factor in all the nuances across the continent.
“There is a great deal of enthusiasm and support for the country’s energy transition plan.”
He said the Federal Government had adopted intentional approaches including the setting up of an Energy Transition Office, among others to coordinate the processes.
Earlier, the Minister of Environment, Alh. Mohammad Abubakar, emphasised the need to have a Pan-African transition plan that would ensure a shared vision on the continent’s position at the forthcoming Climate Change Conference.
He assured development partners and members of the G-7 countries of Nigeria’s firm commitments to the net-zero emission targets.
On her part, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, said authorities were making efforts to ensure stability in fiscal and monetary policies.
She said that stakeholders especially in Africa must define their common interest and leverage existing opportunities to build new partnerships.
In his remarks, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Matthias Schmale, commended the leadership of the vice president in developing and implementing an energy transition plan, pledging the UN’s support toward its actualisation.
In the same vein, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said the U.S. would support initiatives aimed at creating conducive environment for investments in the sector.
She acknowledged the emergence of a movement championing common initiative for Africa’s energy transition, describing Nigeria’s plan as a manifestation of country’s position on energy transition.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.