Background and Objectives
Mainstreaming climate action into Nigeria’s development plan presents opportunities to raise the finance it needs to support a bold and dynamic new economic programme. These opportunities involve engaging with development finance institutions, development partners and the private sector to create a country platform that can help raise the financing needed to plan and execute a broad-based decarbonisation programme.
Creating such a country platform requires putting in place the right framework where institutions and other market players are clear on their roles, responsibilities, functions, and powers - a framework within which the players collaborate. It is also essential to ensure that its design and implementation is inclusive, informed by local realities, underpinned by credible data, and is in sync with the country’s overall development agenda.
The quantum of climate finance available to Nigeria will likely be proportional to the level of external confidence in the depth, efficacy, sustainability and credibility of Nigeria’s climate and energy transition architecture.
This event seeks to discuss these issues based on strong, evidence-based research – with the goal of providing pragmatic and useful inputs to the policy making process for Nigeria’s climate transition. It builds on APRI’s ongoing research projects, much of which is being done in collaboration with Government stakeholders – as well as an APRI mapping exercise of Nigeria's climate and energy transition landscape.
The event will further explore Nigeria’s preparedness in incorporating climate action into its economic and development agenda.
The Speakers
Olumide Abimbola
Speaker
Olumide Abimbola is the Executive Director of APRI
Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
Speaker
Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu is the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Charles Wanguhu
Speaker
Charles Wanguhu is the Director of Enzi Ijayo Africa Initiative
Muhammad Wakil
Panelist
Muhammad Wakil is the Nigeria Country Representative for the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). GEAPP partners with governments and the private sector to channel philanthropic capital into Energy Access and Energy Transition investments in developing countries.
Lai Yahaya
Panelist
Lai Yahaya is a lawyer and political economist, working in the areas of economic policy reform, infrastructure development and energy transitions in Sub-Saharan Africa. He is currently an advisor to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tengi George-Ikoli
Panelist
Tengi George-Ikoli is the senior officer, Nigeria Program, at the Natural Resource Governance Institute. Tengi is actively involved with the Natural Resource Governance Institute's initiative, "Oil Dependency in Nigeria." This project critically examines the role of oil in Nigeria’s economy amidst its declining petroleum sector performance and the global pivot towards cleaner energy sources.
Nana Skari Maidugu
Panelist
Mrs. Nana Maidugu is the Head of Sustainability and ESG at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, where she is responsible for developing and driving NSIA’s sustainability strategy & climate initiatives, as well as implementation of NSIA’s ESG framework across the Authority, its investments and its partnerships.
Rahila Thomas
Panelist
Rahila Thomas is the Country Director at Energy Market And Rates Consultants Limited (EMRC Nigeria) & Head of Kaduna Electric Board of Directors.
Dr. Eugene Itua
Panelist
Dr. Eugene Itua is the CEO of Natural Eco Capital and a pivotal figure in environmental management and sustainability across West Africa. He serves as the Coordinator for the Nigeria Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy and leads the West Africa Capitals Coalition Hub, advocating for sustainable capital flows and development practices.
Comrade Echezona Asuzu
Panelist
Comrade Echezona Asuzu is a Principal Assistant General Secretary (PAGS) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He is the National Coordinator of the NLC Climate Change, Green Jobs and Just Transition Program. He also coordinates the NLC Program on Trade, Investment, Sovereign Debt and Decent Work.
Sally Woolhouse
Panelist
Sally Woolhouse is a seasoned economic development professional currently serving as the Head of Economic Development at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She brings a wealth of experience in both governmental and private sectors, having previously held the position of Senior Private Sector Advisor and Head of Investment at Prospero within the same office.
Habiba Ahut Daggash
Moderator
Habiba Ahut Daggash is a Senior Associate at RMI, a US-based think-tank working to scale clean energy solutions globally. Her current work focuses on scaling utility-enabled distributed energy resources and the productive use of energy in Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
Amara Nwankpa
Moderator
Amara Nwankpa serves as Director of the Public Policy Initiative at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Foundation. With over a decade of experience in public policy, strategic communication, and community engagement, Amara's expertise spans critical areas, including climate change, elections, energy, security, governance, and accountability.