In his newly released 2023 presidential election manifesto, Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi promises to identify opportunities and tap into the $3 trillion international climate finance using a green army.
The manifesto tagged “Our Pact with Nigerians: Creating a new Nigeria” was made public during a broadcast on Channels Television on Saturday, December 3.
A part of the manifesto stated:
- “It has been established that Nigeria is among the top 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change, which poses the greatest economic, physical, financial and developmental risks. But it also offers enormous opportunities to unleash the green growth transition and boost prosperity. We shall establish a Green Army tasked with identifying all opportunities to tap into the $3 trillion international climate finance to engineer economic growth and employment for millions of our youths and transition our country to the green epoch”
How it will tackle current problems: Peter Obi has said he wants to transition Nigeria from fossil fuels to green energy. To him, this transition will have a positive impact on Nigeria’s environmental challenges like flooding, which took over 600 lives across the country as of October 2022.
- Peter Obi told the anchors of the Morning Show on Arise TV in October 2022 that if he becomes president in 2023, he will tackle the country’s flooding problems by dredging Rivers Benue and Niger. He further alluded to dredging contracts concluded in the past without implementation.
- According to him, the pattern of rainfall from 2001 till date has remained constant, so, dredging is needed in order to prevent the floods Nigerians have to deal with every year. He said:
- “If Egypt can dredge and sift the river Nile, which is over 6,000 km long for Tourism and other purposes that contribute to their economy, why can’t we do the same with River Niger, which is over 4,000 km, and River Benue which is over 1,000 km? If we award the dredging contract, we will ensure it is done.”
Industrializing with net zero goals: In the manifesto, it was stated that the country’s economic production will be equitably geared towards the net-zero emissions drive.
- So, the Obi campaign will re-design incentives for present and prospective investors in the industrial sector coupled with an apprenticeship system to provide a ready-made source of technical expertise in the relevant areas.
Reducing petroleum products imports: The manifesto states that the Obi campaign plans to incentivize the mid-stream segment of the petroleum industry by facilitating gas processing plants and privately-owned small and medium-scale boutique refineries, with a view to reducing the importation of refined petroleum products, and eliminating the petrol subsidy regime, which has become a huge burden on the budget.
- In the manifesto, the Obi campaign plans to review and enforce the mandatory National Strategic Reserve of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Diesel (AGO), aviation fuel, and cooking gas to reduce the country’s national vulnerability to sudden disruptions to the supply of these fuels. The manifesto also stated:
- “We will ensure that the federal government offers meaningful incentives to corporate entities and industries that make discernible efforts to transit to clean and alternative energy, not only for local consumption but also for export. Our priority is the preservation of our environmental integrity, using a carrot-and-stick approach to ensure that industrial production and oil production do not damage our environment and livelihood systems.”
In case you missed it: Peter Obi has previously stated that Nigeria must look beyond oil and he intends to leapfrog Nigeria from oil to the Fourth Industrial Revolution by expanding physical infrastructure through market-driven reforms that will unleash growth-enabling entrepreneurship and market-creating innovations.
