The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) is set to team up with the Department of Climate Change (DCC) from the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja to launch a new system in July 2024 that will evaluate and rank the climate governance performance of all 36 states in the country. An announcement was officially made on June 13th, 2024, during the first gathering of climate change desk officers from various states in Nigeria organised by the DCC.
Also, the rating and ranking project led by SPP President Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke is a crucial continuation of last year’s assessment of their efforts in partnership with the DCC and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF). The project aims to provide a comprehensive report evaluating and comparing the performance of all the states. This initiative will highlight the progress made by individual states and identify areas for improvement and best practices that can be shared across the country.
Nigeria’s state climate government were to rate based on five key criteria.
However, the criteria for rating and ranking were determined by Professor Okereke, focusing on five aspects of governance, which include the presence of a policy and action plan; the level of implementation of climate change projects; the inclusion of Climate Finance in state budgets; the online visibility of state climate activities, and the administrative structure of climate change governance. Okereke emphasised that the evaluation process relies heavily on the input from State Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, and Climate Desk Officers in all states in the country, as well as thorough validation conducted by the research team and Department of Climate Change employees.
Furthermore, he further expressed his certainty that the process would increase awareness of the issues within the states and promote friendly competition, leading to improvement among the states. He noted similar successful outcomes in other countries that have undertaken similar projects. The professor will acknowledge the states that have achieved the top scores during the upcoming report launch in late July. Mahmud Adam Kambari, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, enthusiastically welcomed the start of the Subnational Coordination Meeting on Climate Change in his keynote speech.
National and subnational governance will be improved.
He emphasised the urgent nature of the issue, describing it as a critical issue of the time. He explained the importance of the coordination conference in enhancing collaboration between national and subnational entities to improve governance nationwide, aligning with the President’s transformative goals. The Permanent Secretary praised the subnational climate change officers for their crucial role in implementing global climate objectives at the local level through practical actions and policies. During the subnational coordination meeting, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe from the DCC outlined the Terms of Reference (TOR) and emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation and information exchange between them.
Additionally, the meeting’s main goals focused on enhancing efforts and providing specific training and capacity building for the desk officers. Dr. Abiola-Awe emphasised the importance of the desk officers being proactive and punctual during all meetings. During the monthly gatherings, they must be present and provide regular updates on climate change projects, achievements, challenges, and key takeaways from their specific areas. Professor Okereke commended the DCC Team for effectively organising the Desk Officers’ meeting, emphasising its significant role in harmonising state-level initiatives with the country’s overarching goals.
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Overall, the upcoming report is anticipated to be a pivotal moment for the action in the country. This initiative not only aims to hold states accountable but also to promote a spirit of collaboration and continuous improvement across all levels of government. The project hopes to inspire others to enhance their frameworks by recognising the top-performing states and sharing their successful strategies. The ultimate goal is to create a robust national response to the change, leveraging each state’s unique strengths and innovations to build a sustainable and resilient future for the country.