Climate Change: EU set to grant €150m to Nigeria

The European Union (EU) has expressed its determination to support Nigeria with 150 million euro to tackle the challenges of climate change in the country.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and head of delegation, Mr Ketil Karlsen, disclosed this at the European Union Climate Sustainability event held at the Dangote Business School, Bayero University Kano recently.

He said the EU would also give Nigeria additional eight million euro as technical support for effective implementation non-climate change issues in the country.

He said there was an urgent need for the federal government to rise up to the challenges of climate change, “which could affect agriculture and the environment as well as human beings”.

“We are supporting Nigeria with 150 million euro for the renewable energy programme now with another additional eight million euro specifically targeting technical assistance on non-climate change issues. This project is a huge priority for us and one of our biggest priorities.

“I want to urge the Federal government to take the issue of climate change seriously so as to find a way forward and the biggest players should rise to the occasion by coming on board where everybody should play their roles and responsibilities.”

He added, “We felt reaching out to students today in Kano where hundreds of students are participating is exactly the right thing to do. Because if we are to have transformational response, solid response to the challenges to the adverse effects of climate change, we need the youth to be engaged.

“Nigeria is one of the ten countries that are affected the most. We certainly see it here in Kano interrelating with situations of conflict and we see it hindering opportunities of development. That’s why its so important to be here.”

In his remarks, the Kano state governor,  Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, said the state government would partner and continue to support EU to ensure the success in the renewable energy project in the country.

Ganduje, who was represented by the Head of Service,  Dr Kabiru Shehu noted that electricity was in bad shape in the country and stressed the need to take urgent steps and action that would ensure that Nigerians benefit from the renewable energy project.

Leave a Reply