By Emeka Okafor
The Federal Government on Monday clarified that Government only sponsored and funded attendance of 422 delegates out of the 1,411 Nigerians to Dubai for the COP28 climate summit.
The clarification followed the gale of public condemnation that had trailed the country’s contingent at the conference currently holding in Dubai.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the clarification on Monday in a statement.
Nigerians had publicly condemned the country’s large delegation to the conference amidst the economic woes under the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, especially with the high inflation.
But Idris speaking on the public outcry over the country’s contingent to the conference, said 422 delegates were chosen from the Presidency, National Council on Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, All Ministries, Office of the Vice President, National Assembly, and federal parastatals and agencies.
The statement, titled ‘Re: Nigeria At Cop-28’ noted, “It is imperative to point out that the overall Nigerian delegation to COP28 comprises government-sponsored (Federal and State Governments) and non-government-sponsored participants (from private companies to NGOs, CSOs, Media, academia, etc).
“The Federal Government-funded delegation is made up of a total of 422 persons: National Council on Climate Change (32); Federal Ministry of Environment (34); All Ministries (167); Presidency (67); Office of the Vice President (9); National Assembly (40); and Federal Parastatals/Agencies (73).
“As the biggest economy and most populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change, Nigeria has a significant stake in climate action, and our active and robust participation at COP is therefore not unwarranted.”
