Analyzing the Truth from Misconceptions: Nigeria's Involvement in COP28
The presence of Nigerian delegates at the ongoing Climate Summit in Dubai, also known as COP28, has sparked significant controversy and extensive discussions on social media in the past 24 hours. It is crucial to provide accurate information and bring clarity to the situation. Firstly, the summit, denoted as COP, stands for Convention of Parties.
The current gathering in Dubai involves more than 97,000 delegates from over 100 countries globally and marks the 28th event in the series dedicated to addressing climate change and its impacts on a global scale. The previous COP27 took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, last year.
When addressing a pressing global issue like climate change, various entities participate in the summit, including representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, media, and multilateral institutions. These parties converge to discuss diverse agendas and interests, advocating for mitigating actions.
In the case of Nigeria, as with many other countries, a diverse group of interested parties is present in Dubai. This includes government officials from both the Federal and sub-national governments, business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists, journalists, and representatives from government agencies such as NNPC, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, and NDDC.
Numerous youth organizations from Nigeria, particularly those from the Northern and Niger Delta regions most affected by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities, are also in attendance. Jonathan Lokpobiri, the President of the Ijaw Youth Council, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation with more than 15 members representing Nigeria. Additionally, over 20 journalists from various media houses in Nigeria are part of the delegation.
It is essential to emphasize that their participation is not a mere excursion, contrary to some misleading representations on social media. Delegates from all countries, encompassing government officials, private sector representatives, media personnel, and civil society groups, attend COP summits and conferences as parties. The number of attendees is registered based on their countries of origin, and this does not imply government sponsorship.
It is worth noting that registering to attend a conference does not guarantee physical presence. Given Nigeria's status as the largest country in Africa with the biggest economy and a substantial stake in climate action due to its extensive extractive economy, it is logical that the number of delegates from Nigeria surpasses that of other African countries.
Among the Nigerian delegates are prominent figures like UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu, BUA Group Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu, and other billionaires whose businesses actively promote sustainability and climate actions through philanthropy. These business leaders and their accompanying staff, present among the 1,411 delegates from Nigeria, are not funded by the federal government for their trip to Dubai.
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