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The Federal Government has pledged support for Cross River State’s maiden Climate Transition Plan, expressing its readiness to help the state attract climate finance, access emerging carbon markets and develop investment projects that combine environmental conservation with economic growth.
The commitment came from the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and the Federal Ministry of Environment at an inception workshop on the development of the plan, held at the State Library, Calabar.
Director-General of the NCCC, Omotenioye Majekodunmi, said Cross River’s extensive tropical rainforests, biodiversity and other natural resources placed it in a strategic position to benefit from emerging opportunities in carbon trading, nature-based solutions and international climate financing.
She stressed that Nigeria’s climate commitments could only translate into measurable results through effective implementation at state and community levels, where environmental protection must be accompanied by improved livelihoods and sustainable development.
“Nigeria’s climate ambitions will ultimately be delivered at the state and community levels, where forests are protected, infrastructure is made more resilient, clean energy is deployed, and livelihoods are strengthened,” she said.
“Cross River State has a particularly important role to play with its rich tropical rainforest, the biodiversity and significant natural capital.
“The state has an opportunity to demonstrate that climate action, conservation and economic development can go hand in hand.”
Majekodunmi explained that the greenhouse gas inventory, climate vulnerability and risk assessment, alongside other baseline studies being undertaken by the state, would provide the scientific evidence required to translate policy ambitions into practical interventions.
According to her, credible environmental data and clearly defined projects would strengthen Cross River’s capacity to attract investors seeking measurable climate and development outcomes.
“It will also position Cross River State to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in nature-based solutions, carbon markets and climate finance,” she said.
“As Nigeria operationalises its national carbon market architecture and advances implementation of our NDC, we need new and strong state-level projects that are credible, investable and capable of delivering measurable results and ultimately improve incomes.”
She assured the state government of the council’s commitment to ensuring that its transition plan aligns with national climate priorities and attracts the partnerships required for implementation.
“The National Council on Climate Change stands ready to work with Cross River State to ensure alignment with national climate priorities and, importantly, to help translate this plan into implementation and investment,” Majekodunmi declared.
Similarly, Director of the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Iniobong Abiola-Awe, described the initiative as another demonstration of Cross River’s leadership in environmental conservation and subnational climate governance.
She said the state’s longstanding reputation as a major ecological destination, particularly its vast forest resources and biodiversity, made the transition plan an important framework for balancing conservation with development.
“Cross River State has long been celebrated as Nigeria’s premier eco-destination and vital subnational vanguard for forest conservation.
“By unveiling this important framework, Cross River State is once again proving its proactive leadership in subnational environmental governance,” she said.
Abiola-Awe commended the state government for initiating baseline studies, explaining that reliable data would enable policymakers to establish realistic priorities, measure progress and develop interventions capable of delivering results.
“We are highly encouraged to see that Cross River State is executing critical baseline studies, and these studies provide the precise empirical formula needed to translate plans to implementation,” she added.
She assured the state of the ministry’s readiness to collaborate on relevant programmes.
Governor Bassey Otu, represented by the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, said the transition plan would strengthen climate resilience, safeguard the state’s natural resources and create opportunities for sustainable economic growth under his administration’s People First agenda.
He emphasised the need to protect the state’s ecological assets, including what he described as more than half of Nigeria’s remaining tropical rainforests, extensive mangrove ecosystems and rich biodiversity.
Otu said the transition framework would provide a coordinated approach to addressing environmental vulnerabilities while ensuring that conservation efforts contribute meaningfully to economic development.
Earlier, Director-General of the Cross River State Council on Climate Change, Edu Effiom, said the inception workshop marked the beginning of the technical process for developing the plan, including reviewing its preliminary draft and conducting baseline studies.
She called on ministries, departments, agencies and local government councils to provide reliable sector-specific data and technical contributions to guide policy priorities, climate projections and implementation targets.
Effiom stressed that climate action must go beyond policy declarations, insisting that environmental commitments should be integrated into government budgets and local development plans to ensure measurable results.
The Federal Government’s intervention is expected to strengthen cooperation with Cross River in developing a climate transition framework capable of attracting investment while protecting the ecological resources on which many communities depend.
