BREAKING: President Buhari departs Abuja to Morocco

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja for Morocco ahead of a crucial meeting on climate change.

According to a post by Femi Adesina, the President is to attend the Climate Change Conference COP 22 in Marrakesh on 14th Nov 2016.

President Buhari is also to participate in the official opening plenary on Tuesday, November 15 where he will deliver his national statement during the High Level Segment of COP 22.

His address is expected to highlight, among other key issues such as Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to implementing the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and policy actions aimed at tackling climate change through environmental sustainable efforts. President Buhari will also use the occasion of his speech to rally international support for the clean-up of Ogoniland in the Niger Delta and the resuscitation of the Lake Chad Basin.

While in Marrakech, the president is scheduled to attend the Africa Day Commemoration at COP 22 with the theme, “Moving from Commitments to Action with Intended Nationally Determined Contributions and African Renewable Energy Initiative.”

He will also attend the Summit of African Heads of State on the sidelines of the Climate Change conference. COP 22, which will be attended by representatives from 197 countries including world leaders, environment ministers, government officials as well as a wide range of representatives from civil society and the private sector, is the first meeting of State Parties since the entry into force of the landmark Paris Agreement on November 4, 2016.

The legally binding international Agreement on climate change, among others, addresses issues of global warming, including its impact on food security and agriculture.

Spokesperson Femi Adesina disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and that he said his action is a demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to a global effort to reverse the effects of the negative trend.

Buhari said this while addressing the opening of the meeting on Taking Climate Action for Sustainable Development in New York, co-hosted by Nigeria and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the side events of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71).

The president’s signing of the agreement committed Nigeria to reducing the ‘Green House Gas Emissions unconditionally by 20 per cent and conditionally by 45 per cent’ in line with Nigeria’s nationally determined contributions.

Buhari described the signing as historic, and also expressed confidence that with support from development partners, Nigeria will meet the above targets.