Mixed reactions trail the size of the Nigerian contingent to the COP28 in Dubai. Different commentators express concerns over the 1,411 delegates representing Nigeria at the Climate Change summit.
Although Nigeria has tried to explain why it sponsored that many delegates to the summit, the criticisms have not abated.
This report examines Nigeria’s critical economic and socioeconomic indices in relation to the top eleven countries that sent a similarly large number of delegates to the Conference of Parties.
We examine indicators such as Gross Domestic Product per Capita (GDP per capita), tax revenue per capita, poverty rate, climate vulnerability and readiness.
The countries reviewed are countries with the highest delegation, and they include the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, France, China, Indonesia, Turkiye, Japan, India, Morocco, the United States of America and Nigeria.
Some views expressed by Nigerians include the fragile state of the Nigerian economy and the government’s claims that there is a need for austerity measures given the paucity of revenue.
Findings by Dataphyte show that among the top eleven countries with the most delegates (including the host), Nigeria has the lowest GDP per Capita.
The review shows that while the United States has the highest GDP per capita of $65,737, Nigeria has the lowest among the eleven countries, with $2,008.
Morocco, the only African country in the top eleven countries with the highest delegation aside from Nigeria, has a GDP of $3460.
Further review also shows that of its peers, Nigeria has the highest poverty rate, with 30.9 headcount, meaning that of every 100 persons in the country, 30.9 percent are poor and live below $2.15 (N1,755) per day; yet, Nigeria was reported to have spent at least N2.7 billion on expenses relating to sponsoring delegates to the COP28.
A Dataphyte “Datadive” publication earlier said, “His (Tinubu) delegation to COP, his first, has been described as outsized, unnecessary, and wasteful because it costs millions of dollars, or billions of Naira, in flights, per diem of officials, hotel accommodation, and many other indirect economic losses on the country’s struggling economy.”
Brazil has a poverty headcount ratio of 5.3, the United States 1, and India, nearest to Nigeria, has a poverty headcount of 11.1.
Tax is a pivotal measure of a country’s economic strength and revenue mobilization capacity. Revenue is the determinant of the expenditure capability of any country, as it shows what it can spend and to what extent.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), “taxation is the only practical means of raising the revenue to finance government spending on the goods and services that most of us demand.”
Dataphyte research shows that of the countries under review, Nigeria has the least tax revenue per capita, with $98. Turkiye, one of the top eleven countries with a high number of delegations to COP28, has the highest tax revenue per capita of $15,105, according to information from the World Bank.
The COP28 is meant to help countries tackle climate change and bring up policies to that effect, including financial support for implementation. However, Data from the ND-GAIN shows that Nigeria, among the eleven countries with the largest delegation, is the least prepared for the adverse effects of Climate Change.
In 2020, Nigeria’s readiness to tackle climate change stood at 0.251, while the most recent publication puts the figure at 0.256. However, our readiness metric of 0.256 is the least among the countries reviewed for this report.
Japan has the highest readiness with 0.69, the United States with 0.656. Indonesia, which is nearest to Nigeria, has a readiness score of 0.325
Nigeria also has the second-highest vulnerability to climate change, according to data from ND-GAIN. With a score of 0.486, only India has more points than Nigeria, which has 0.498. Nigeria’s vulnerability increased between 2020 to the most recent publication. In 2020, the figure stood at 0.500; showing that as time goes by, the country is subjected to more adverse effects of climate change.
In a press statement by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Nigeria’s participation and substantial representation at the Global Climate Change Summit is warranted due to its high vulnerability to climate change.
It is expected that Delegates at COP28, sponsored by the Government or private entities, will engage in vital negotiations that will open doors for potential investments in the country. In the long run, these opportunities can move Nigeria up the scale of climate change vulnerability.
At the ongoing COP 28 the federal government expressed commitment towards clean cooling, an energy initiative adopted at the COP28 to help curb the adverse effect of global warming.
President Tinubu seized the opportunity to sign an accelerated performance agreement between Nigeria and Germany to improve power supply, he also hosted meetings with stakeholders and investors Nigeria carbon market and electric bus unfolding programme .
Report shows that 590 Nigerians are carrying the party badge to represent the country at different negotiation rooms, this makes Nigeria the forth country with the highest party badge at the conference, delegates carrying the party badge are to negotiate for their countries and report to the UNFCCC country focal point person.
Commitments made by world leaders at the COP28.
The 28th edition of the Conference of Parties, (COP28), taking place in the United Arab Emirates, has attracted 195 countries in the decision making process.
Some of the deliberations and commitments taken by the World leaders at the COP28 include:
Tripling renewables capacity globally.
At the COP28 Summit held at the UAE, more than 100 countries signed up to a commitment to keep the 1.5C pathway of the Paris Agreement alive by trebling global renewable capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
The Global Decarbonisation Accelerator (GDA) is to act as a guide towards steering nations ahead of the 1.5C pathway by committing to clean energy scale-ups and reducing emissions from methane production, by rapidly scaling the energy system of tomorrow; decarbonizing the energy system of today, and targeting methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gasses (GHGs).
A total of 116 countries have signed up to the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, which will see them aim to triple global renewable generation capacity to at least 11,000 gigawatts and to double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements from around 2% to more than 4% every year until 2030.
Loss and Damage funding agreed
Also, In the opening to COP28, world leaders delivered a major breakthrough in the form of a loss and damage fund.
Loss and damage refer to the impact on economies, infrastructures and societies from climate-induced events. Small island states have been rallying for dedicated funding for years and major nations agreed to do so at COP28.
At the COP28, 23 countries mobilized more than $655 million for the Loss and Damage Fund. This funding represents a step toward addressing the urgent challenges caused by climate change. These countries are developed countries such as: Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France , Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, UAE, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The UAE had committed $100m to the fund, a figure that has been matched by Germany. The UK pledged £40m to the Fund and £20m for other funding arrangements for loss and damage. The US has committed $17m – a move that has been criticized for not being sufficient enough – and Japan $10m. Along with other backers, the total now exceeds $725m.
However, the World Bank has agreed to act as administrator for at least four initial years. Additionally, nations that should pay in have been named, including the US, UK and EU. These wealthiest nations will be “urged” to contribute their fair share, while rapidly developing nations with major economies, like China, will be “encouraged” to pay in. There is not yet a set target for how much should be provided and by when.