By Vivian Emoni
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) says robust approval criteria are essential to protecting Nigeria’s interests in the carbon market.
The Vice-Chancellor of the UNN, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, made the call at a stakeholders` workshop on draft review and validation of Nigeria’s Host Country Approval (HCA) criteria for carbon market operations, on Tuesday in Abuja.
The workshop was organised by National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), and the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC-EfD Nigeria).
Ortuanya also called for clear, practical and transparent criteria for approving carbon market projects, while emphasising the need for evidence-based and transparent HCA criteria to strengthen Nigeria’s carbon market framework.
He commended the NCCC and the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC-EfD Nigeria) for convening the workshop.
He said the collaboration demonstrated the importance of partnerships between government and research institutions in developing evidence-based policies.
The vice chancellor, who was represented by Prof. Nnaemeka Chukwuone, Director, REPRC-EfD Nigeria, also appreciated the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) and Hewlett for supporting the project financially.
He said the global carbon market offered opportunities to mobilise climate finance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
He said that such opportunities are particularly important for Nigeria as it pursued economic growth, industrial development and energy access and poverty reduction.
“A well-governed carbon market could help mobilise resources needed to achieve those objectives while addressing the challenges of climate change.
“the Federal Government has taken steps to institutionalise carbon market governance through the approval of the carbon market framework.
“The next critical step is to support the framework with clear, practical and transparent HCA criteria for carbon market projects.
“The criteria will guide project eligibility, screening and assessment, while clarifying institutional responsibilities and approval procedures,” he said.
Ortuanya noted that the criteria would cover measurement, reporting and verification, environmental and social safeguards, and alignment with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
He said they would also address registry and transparency arrangements as well as carbon accounting, adding that the criteria must protect Nigeria’s interests.
He said the proposed HCA criteria were developed from research, noting that effective public policies should be informed by credible evidence and stakeholder engagement.
He said the workshop would allow participants to examine the proposed criteria from regulatory, institutional, investment, environmental, social and implementation perspectives.
The vice-chancellor urged participants to identify gaps, clarify institutional responsibilities and propose practical solutions to strengthen the approval and authorisation procedures.
He expressed confidence that the technical sessions, stakeholder discussions and plenary deliberations would generate recommendations for refining and finalising the HCA criteria.
The Director General of the NCCC, Dr Omotenioye Majekodunmi, said that carbon markets could mobilise climate finance, unlock private investment, support green industrialisation and create jobs if underpinned by clear goals and transparency.
Majekodunmi said the Climate Change Act 2021 provided the legal foundation for coordinated climate action, while the Nigerian Carbon Market Framework guided participation in carbon markets.
She said the criteria must protect Nigeria’s national interests while providing certainty for credible investors and project developers, ensuring genuine mitigation outcomes and sustainable development.
Majekodunmi said that the carbon projects must respect host communities, promote social inclusion and align with national climate priorities while protecting Nigeria’s ability to achieve its NDC.
The director said the criteria should prevent double-counting, strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s carbon market and ensure communities received transparent, fair and enforceable benefits from carbon finance.
She said the workshop would test whether the criteria were practical, legally sound and technically robust, urging participants to make frank and constructive contributions before declaring the workshop open.
Prof. Adekola Adenikinju, Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) Scientific Adviser, commended the NCCC and the REPRC-EfD Nigeria for convening stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s carbon market framework.
Adenikinju said the global carbon market offered opportunities to mobilise climate finance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
He said the proposed criteria would guide project eligibility, institutional responsibilities, measurement, reporting and verification, environmental safeguards, NDC alignment, registry, transparency and carbon accounting. (NAN)
VOE//IAA
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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola
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