The Federal Government has clarified that out of the 1,411 delegates from Nigeria who are attending the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, only 422 persons are funded by the Federal Government.
The clarification of the number of the FG-funded delegation to the climate summit in Dubai was prompted by the public conversation on the number of delegates from Nigeria attending the summit.
This information is contained in a press statement issued by Mohammed Idris, the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, on Monday, and can be seen on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Fredrick Nwabufo, Senior Special to the President on Public Engagement.
The statement explained that with over 70,000 participants and delegates from over 100 countries, Nigeria’s representation is in line with “our status as Africa’s leading Sovereign voice and player in climate action.”
Breakdown of the FG-funded delegation to COP28
The press statement by Idris disclosed that delegates from Nigeria attending the climate summit included government officials, representatives from the private sector, civil society, the voluntary sector, state governments, media, multilateral institutions, representatives of marginalised communities, and many others.
However, the statement pointed out that participants from private companies, NGOs, CSOs, Media, academia, and so on, were not sponsored by the government.
The breakdown of the 422-man FG-funded delegation is as follows:
- National Council on Climate Change = 32
- Federal Ministry of Environment = 34
- All Ministries = 167
- Presidency = 67
- Office of the Vice President = 9
- National Assembly = 40
- Federal Parastatals/Agencies = 73
The statement further explained that as the biggest economy and most populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change, Nigeria’s robust participation at COP is not unwarranted.
