By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Stakeholders have stressed need to explore innovative financing pathways for counterpart funding to ensure the smooth implementation of the NC4 process and other run up documents especially the NIR and BTR.
This is among other recommendations at a 2-day Inception Workshop on the Fourth National Communications to the UNFCCC held in Lagos.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The workshop brought together relevant Stakeholders from the MDAs, State Climate Change Desk Officers, DCC Staff, National Experts and International Consultants, Academia, CSOs, the organized Private Sector and the Media from across Nigeria.
Other recommendations at the workshop are need for capacity of stakeholders to be further strengthened on disaggregated and gender-responsive data collation and analysis, GHG Inventory Management, Mitigation and Adaptation assessment in order to effectively deliver on the BTR1 and NIR2; The Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment should provide an online stakeholders platform for mutual learning and experience sharing as well as provide more opportunities for specialized trainings of stakeholders;National Consultants should be empowered to write the Reports while the international consultants can provide the needed international perspective for quality enhancement.
Also the participants called for development of the emission factors for various sectors.
The communique said “Noting the insufficiency in grants usually received by Nigeria for different climate related projects, the DCC is hereby encouraged to enlist such projects under the UNFCCC as part of their capital projects to cover the counterpart funding needed to provide seed funds for undertaking the required projects’ complementary activities; and Full operationalization of the National Greenhouse Gases Inventory Management System and the MRV Coordinating Unit within the Department of Climate Change.”
During the technical session, presentations were made on Country Reporting Obligations with emphasis on the Paris Agreement; Components of the fourth National Communications (NC4) and the First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) and Brief Description of Project (PIF); Situation Analysis and proposed activities on GHG Inventory to overcome Barriers, Constraints and Gaps; Mitigation Proposed Activities, Barriers, Constraints and Gaps; situation Analysis and Proposed Activities on Vulnerability and Adaptation to overcome Barriers, Constraints and Gaps; and Situation Analysis and Proposed Activities on MRV and other information (National Communications – NC; Education, Training and Public Awareness – ETPA; and Research and Systematic Observation – RSO) to overcome Barriers, Constraints and Gaps. The presentations highlighted the obligations of signatory parties under Article 4(1) and Article 12(1) of the UNFCCC to report on their GHG inventories, mitigation and adaption measures, and cross-cutting issues. They also highlighted the importance of Article 11 of the Paris Agreement which enjoins Parties to promote Capacity Building based on lessons learnt, national needs and country ownership; and Article 13 of the Paris Agreement which obliges all parties to promote Transparency of Action and Support bearing in mind Reporting, Technical Expert Review and facilitative multilateral consideration of progress as well as comply with the Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines.
The following observations were made during the group presentations- Inadequate coordination and utilization of manpower in modelling, poor synergy between collaborating agencies, limited finance, unreliable internet access and power supply, inadequate equipment are key capacity building and technology needs that Nigeria has to properly address in order to effectively conduct her Mitigation assessment and analysis as well as track its NDC implementation and report appropriately using the MRV system; In undertaking Vulnerability & Adaptation assessment, there is need to promote public awareness, training on research and report writing; Inconsistency in Government policies, poor coordination and duplication of mandates among MDAs may affect the successful emission factor analysis and choice within the energy sector; Inadequate capacity and finance, insecurity and COVID-19 Pandemic are among other risks that can delay the success of the fourth National Communications; and Low capacity of stakeholders to effectively undertake GHG Inventory Management, Mitigation and Adaptation assessment in order to effectively deliver on the Biennial Update Report (BUR2), National Inventory Report (NIR1) and National Communications (NC4).
In his remarks at the workshop, UNDP representative, Mr Muyiwa Odele noted that the consultations are engineered to facilitate collective ownership of the documents and stakeholders critical roles in its implementation.
He said “These 4 NC is a bit unique because it is the very first time that Nigeria would be preparing any of its reports as a full sized project – the import is that there would be opportunity to take a systemic and longer term approach towards addressing all the major challenges that identified during the preparation of the previous three national communication – the NC4 would integrate the lessons learnt and will be the catalyst for the establishment of national capacities led preparation for future reports under the leadership of DCC.
“It will look at strengthening the processes for identification, collection, processing of data, in order words, establish protocols for robust data collection architecture that would be linked to the MRV, national inventory and the ongoing establishment of a national Climate change registry that is currently ongoing under the NDC Support programme.
“The NC4 will amplify the roles of subnational / State and local actors – as a matter of fact we have invited the desk officers from the 36 states of the federation – this is why you would have noticed a swell in the number of participants at today’s meeting. CSOs, NGOs, Women, Youth representatives and Academia that are here today is to broaden the engagement and enrich the process
“The critical roles of the different focal persons for each of the related IPCC streams of work in the Ministry would be crucial at every stage of the preparation of the Fourth National Communications. It will bring together the Adaptation, IPPU, GHG, Mitigation, Inventory, Youth, NDC and Gender elements of national climate action to ensure coherence.Nigeria had previously prepared and submitted three (3) National Communications.
The preparation of the National Communications is in line with the requirements of the UNFCCC, and aimed to inform Stakeholders on the relevance of the National Communications and encourage their useful contributions to enhance its development.
