The Federal Government has come up with plans to save over N10 billion from the coming United Nations Climate Change Conference, Conference of Parties (COP29).
The plan, as stated by the Presidency on Tuesday, is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to reduce the cost of governance.
This year’s Conference of Parties (COP29 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Presidency said the move was necessitated by the humongous government delegations that went for COP28 in Dubai last year, a development that sparked public criticism.
Addressing a press conference at the State House on Tuesday, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that what transpired last year will not repeat itself.
According to him, Tinubu had requested for an inquest after what happened in Dubai, adding that even though there were some deliberate misinformation, “the truth of the matter is, we also found that there were government officials who had no business at that meeting.”
Ngelale, who explained that the measure would save the government about N10 billion from the 11-day event, said government would no longer hire a pavilion which costs $5,000, but a delegation office will be set up inside the premises.
He added that some of the wasteful platforms that give rise to consultancies and subcontracts for lighting and other technology provisions will not be used as they can be provided directly by the National Council on Climate Change.
He said: “Many Nigerians would recall that after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government of Nigeria’s delegation to COP 28 in Dubai, UAE, last year, there were some elements of outcry concerning the size of the delegation.
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“There was deliberate misinformation, but the truth of the matter is, we also found that there were government officials who had no business at that meeting, and some with significant delegations.
“In view of this, President Bola Tinubu, had approved an audit to be undertaken of that exercise to fully understand and ascertain what happened and what must be done to ensure that what happened never repeats itself.
“As a result of that, within the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, which I lead, and in the Office of the Director General, CEO of the National Council on Climate Change in the person of Dr Nkeiruka Madukwe an exercise has been concluded detailing exactly what the expenditure profile was of COP 28 with a view to ensuring that we implement measures that would ensure that whatever is spent ahead of COP 29 has a function that will lead to the economic empowerment of our people and the economic development of our nation.
“It is in view of that, that I’m here to inform the Nigerian people that the National Council on Climate Change, in collaboration with my office, has established the climate accountability and transparency portal, which will, among other things, ensure that all members of delegation across ministries, departments and agencies and including even the legislative branch of government, will be captured on a transparent portal.
“This will mean that Nigerians will have full and real time access into the numbers of who is attending and those who government is sponsoring to COP 29. This will also ensure that anyone who is attending this conference has an economic imperative to be at that conference, engaging with companies, multilateral partners and stakeholders who will attract finance and opportunity into the country for the benefit of our people.
“With all of the savings through the provision and implementation of the climate accountability and transparency portal, as well as our active cut down of expenditure items that were found in the COP 28 expenditure profile. We have put ourselves in a position to save this country over 10 billion naira on this 11 day event in November, COP 29.”
