President Bola Tinubu is making smart changes to save nearly N10 billion for Nigeria at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29). This event will happen in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024.
One big change is a new online system called the Climate Accountability and Transparency Portal. This system will make sure everything is clear and well-organized for Nigeria at the global event.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale, who works with the President on climate action, talked about this plan during a media briefing. This announcement was also shared by Segun Imohiosen, who handles information and public relations for the government.
Ngelale said the government wants to fix problems found at COP 28 in Dubai. At that event, there were a lot of unnecessary expenses.
“President Bola Tinubu has approved the Climate Accountability and Transparency Portal and other steps to make sure our country’s participation at COP 29 in Azerbaijan is efficient and clear,” the statement said.
“He also said the government will save nearly N10 billion by not repeating last year’s costly mistakes,” it added.
Ngelale explained more about the portal. It was created with the help of the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and the National Council on Climate Change. The portal will let every Nigerian see how many delegates—people who represent Nigeria—are going to COP 29.
This online tool will show real-time information about these delegates, including their names and which government departments they come from. This makes sure everyone can see who is going and who the government is paying for.
“President Bola Tinubu understands our country’s financial struggles, so he reviewed the spending at last year’s COP 28,” Ngelale said. “Our investigation found some serious inefficiencies that needed fixing.”
“The President has approved this new portal so every Nigerian can see the number of delegates at COP 29,” he added.
“This ensures transparency at all levels—ministries, departments, agencies, and the legislative branch. People will know exactly who is attending and who is being supported by the government,” he noted.
Review of COP 28 Spending Shows Big Waste
The statement also mentioned that President Tinubu started a full review of Nigeria’s spending at COP 28 in Dubai. The goal was to find out what went wrong, manage resources better, and take necessary corrective actions.
The audit found a lot of wasteful spending, including nearly $500,000 on a pavilion, plus other unnecessary contracts and consultancies. These findings made it clear that changes were needed to avoid such waste in the future.
Ngelale said the goal is to make sure future spending, especially for COP 29, supports Nigeria’s economic growth and development goals.
Only delegates with clear economic roles—such as talking with companies and partners to bring money and opportunities to Nigeria—will be part of the federal government’s team at COP 29. People not directly involved in important climate or business activities will not attend.
To save even more money, the Nigerian team will use a shared office space at the event, costing less than 10% of what was spent on the pavilion last year. This office will have a schedule to ensure efficient use.