President Bola Tinubu announced on Saturday that Nigeria will introduce 100 electric buses as a first step towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly future.
The “pioneering initiative” is to “significantly” reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint and modernise the country’s transportation systems,” Tinubu said in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on the margins of the COP28 climate summit.
”This initiative stands as a testament to our dedication to environmental stewardship as clearly exemplified through our collaboration with the Africa Carbon Market Initiative. Our visionary plan is a strategic guidepost, directing Nigeria towards becoming an investment-friendly destination for carbon market investments,” presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale quoted his principal as saying.
“We recognize the imperative of fostering an environment that not only attracts investment but also upholds standardized and sustainable industrial practices. As a manifestation of our forward-thinking approach, we are actively looking to implement robust, enabling policies and frameworks that will serve as the catalyst for the burgeoning growth of the carbon market within our national borders.”
President Tinubu also appointed the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Zacch Adedeji and the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) Dahiru Salisu to co-chair the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan.
While the move is part of efforts to position Nigeria and Africa as the pioneering frontier of green manufacturing and industrialization, Tinubu is urging other countries on the continent to follow suit.