Nigeria hosted a two-day summit on green economy to address domestic and international investment in clean energy.
The Niger State Green Economy Summit was held in Minna, the state capital, where the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed called for more clean energy innovations in the oil-rich nation.
“The days of oil driven energy growth are numbered. While our global progress on meeting the climate emergency is still too slow, there is no long-term future for oil,” Mohammed said in the summit sessions held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nearly 36% of households in Nigeria do not have access to the electricity grid, and remain almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels for electricity generation, according to UN data.
Collective responsibility
“Nigeria must set a shift and chart a new way forward that leaves no one behind by investing in the transition to clean energy from renewable sources. Niger State has the potential to be the trailblazer on this path,” she stated.
“Investing in the green economy would unleash the next great wave of human and sustainable development, particularly for our youths”.
Halil Ibrahim Yilmaz, president of the Union of City Councils of Türkiye, urged for collective responsibility for climate change during the summit.
"Even if we individually fulfil our responsibilities towards the climate to the fullest, the cost of irresponsibility in another part of the world reflects on all of us," he said in a session focused on sustainable Agriculture in Niger State.
