President Bola Tinubu’s decision not to speak at the COP28 Climate Change Summit has been interpreted by some as a missed opportunity. However, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has stated that Nigeria is no longer interested in making empty pledges and is now focused on taking concrete action.
“We are tired of repeating promises,” Tuggar told Premium Times during the conference. “Nigeria wants to see results. Enough is enough.”
According to Tuggar, this new approach is why Tinubu chose not to give a speech at the event. Instead, he chose to engage in more productive discussions behind the scenes.
Tuggar hinted that these discussions were centered around holding developed countries accountable for their emissions. Nigeria is leading efforts to secure “loss and damage” compensation for developing countries that are disproportionately affected by climate change.
The minister explained that this focus on action is in line with Nigeria’s 4D foreign policy, which prioritizes development and migration, two areas heavily impacted by climate change.