News
COP29 SURPRISED NO ONEText of CSOs Media Briefing held in Abuja on 4th December 2024 on the outcome of COP29 and the way forward
COP29 SURPRISED NO ONE
Text of CSOs Media Briefing held in Abuja on 4th December 2024 on the outcome of COP29 and the way forward
By: Michael Mike
The Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held its 29th session at Baku Azerbaijan on10-24 November 2024. COP29 as it is popularly known was tagged a Finance COP and that raised the hopes of poor, vulnerable nations that finally, climate finance would make sense. They were rightly enthused by the fact that the Loss and Damage mechanism agreed to at COP27 in Egypt was endorsed at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, optimists forgot that tagging COP27 an African COP did not make it an African COP. That conference was actually the fifth COP held in Africa.
COP29 failed spectacularly on the finance note and the leader of the Nigerian delegation rightly called the minuscule amount offered an insult. We applaud the Director General of the Nigerian Climate Change Commission (NCCC) for her forthright submission.
AMBITIONS GAP
Scientists inform us that 2024 is the hottest year on record. The year has also recorded a high number of disastrous weather events. The fact that climate action requires scientifically derived, binding and distributed emissions reduction cannot be denied otherwise the trend will persist. The UNFCCC core justice basis is the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR). This principle requires that the rich and highly polluting nations who contributed disproportionately to the stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere must own up to their historical responsibility, cut emissions at source and provide finance to help the vulnerable nations that have not contributed to the problem at any significant level.
This principle was essentially turned on its head when the Copenhagen Accord outcome of COP15 held in December 2009 signaled the ascendancy of voluntary emissions reduction by every nation — polluters and non-polluters. That outcome gave rise to the so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) plank of the Paris Agreement. Nations need to show high levels of ambition in terms of emissions reduction if the world is to experience temperature levels within the limits set by the Paris Agreement. This has not happened.
EMISSIONS GAP
Emissions Gap reports issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2023 and in 2024 clearly show that if nations carry out their NDCs, the world would experience temperature increases far above the 1.5C and 2.0C targets set by the Paris Agreement.
The latest Emissions Gap report shows that if countries continue with their current policies, the world stands a 90 per cent chance of hitting a temperature increase far above 3.6C or 3.4C if they carry on with unconditional NDCs and 3.0C with conditional reductions.
Nations carry on as if we are not living in an emergency even though the Emissions Gap report came out just before COP29. When we consider the impacts of weather events being currently experienced at 1.1C above preindustrial levels, it is not difficult to see that the world is already in injury time.
FINANCE GAP
The so-called finance COP was shy of mentioning how much the rich polluting nations would contribute to help vulnerable nations adapt and build resilience to the scourge. The figures were literally kept to the dying hours of the conference and was eventually rushed through to the disappointment of many.
Talks of loss and damage and other instruments of climate finance became largely muted. In their place emerged a contentious concept of New Collective Quantified Goals (NCQG) – a new mechanism requiring that everyone contributes to the finance pot in the same thought pattern that birthed the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), the hallmark of voluntary emissions reduction according to convenience.
We recall that at COP15 in 2009 the pledge was to pay $10bn dollars yearly from 2010 to 2020 and raise that to $100bn from 2020. Those targets never materialized. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) was presented as a means of raising funds needed to support mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage in developing and climate-vulnerable countries, found mostly in the Global South. The amount needed was put at a minimum of $1.3 trillion annually, although civil society analysts put the climate debt at $5-8 trillion annually.
COP 29 came up with a miserly $300 billion which would come into effect in 2035. The COP clearly ignored the call of vulnerable nations and global civil society and Indigenous peoples for rich and historically responsible nations to Pay Up and to do so in Trillions not Billions.
When the COP deferred the date for providing needed funds to 2035 there doesn’t appear to be any consideration of the scale of the climate disasters that the world may be facing then. It has also been estimated that the $300 billion would be worth just $175 billion by then using current inflationary trend.
Another concern is that even the promised $300 billion may come through so-called innovative financial sources that include loans and would increase the already huge debt burdens of the poor countries.
Climate finance can readily be raised by redirecting funds from military expenditure that saw rich nations spend up to $2.4 trillion in 2023. Halting fossil fuel subsidies and holding polluters accountable would raise more than $5 trillion annually. So, the problem is not a lack of cash, but a matter of priority.
FALSE SOLUTIONS
COP29 opened with the COP president gaveling through mechanisms to operationalize carbon markets and other market-based mechanisms under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. Parties formally adopted a decision text for Article 6, that formally set the stage for a global expansion of carbon markets, entrenching false solutions and deepening climate injustice.
Carbon markets provide a lifeline for polluters and fossil fuel companies who could now buy the license to continue polluting. It was a triumphant season for the over 1770 contingent of fossil fuel lobbyists, who ensured that attention drifted from ending the primary cause of climate change and elevated false solutions instead. This fossil delegation was larger than the combined delegations of the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.
We are concerned that the new opening to carbon markets and mechanisms will divert funds to false solutions such as carbon capture and storage, geoengineering, carbon offsets, carbon credits, biodiversity credits, and other market-based schemes that perpetuate climate chaos, and violate the rights of Indigenous peoples.
CARBON COLONIALISM
Already the African continent is exposed to not just mere land grabs but a continent grab. Some countries have mortgaged their forests to carbon speculators with some ceding up to 10 and 20 percent of their total land mass. In Nigeria there is a rise of speculators grabbing hundreds of thousands of mangrove forests to enable the so-called investors trade in blue and other colors of carbon. States being enticed to fall into this web include Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Niger. A particularly worrisome note is the plan of Niger State to give 16% of its land mass to a Brazillian meat packaging company which will inevitably have dire socioeconomic-economic as well as climate consequences.
WAY FORWARD
- We call for community-led solutions to halt pollution at the source, ensure sovereignty of our peoples over their forests, water bodies and general territories.
- We demand the recognition by rich, polluting and industrialized nations, of a climate and ecological debt they owe and payment of same. This debt is estimated at an annual rate of $5-8 trillion and its payment will end the squabbles over climate finances whose targets are set but are never pursued or met.
- We call for an end to false solutions and demand the halting of emissions at source by urgently phasing out fossil fuels. Communities and nations that have kept fossil fuels in the ground should be recognized as climate champions and duly compensated for such actions. The people of Yasuni in Ecuador, Ogoni in Nigeria, Lofoten in Norway and others have shown the way.
- We demand an urgent clean up of areas polluted by fossil fuel exploitation and provision of clean renewable energy to energy poor communities.
- Nigeria and other African countries should place a ban on geoengineering experimentations, including solar radiation management, ocean fertilization, rock weathering and others.
- We denounce false solutions and market-based mechanisms that include carbon offset schemes, carbon removals and others.
- The energy and other transitions must promote human rights and be inclusive of gender responsive efforts with communities duly integrated in the decision making processes.
- Countries who do not support fossil fuels phase out should be barred from hosting the COP, and polluters should not be kept out of the COP.
- Real street marches and protests should not be hindered on the Global Days of Action during the COP as has been the case at recent conferences.
- COP30 should be a truly peoples’ COP where voices of youths, women, indigenous and impacted communities take centre stage.
- Loss and Damage should be fully addressed under the concept of Climate Debt.
- Massive Investment in Just Transition through a non-extractive model, prioritizing community-driven solutions such as agroecology that address the intersecting crises of climate and social inequity.
- We call for the recognition of the Rights of Nature in the negotiations, rejection of the commodification of nature and protection of our forests and biodiversity.
- We call for investment in peace building, not war and genocide.
Nigeria: MSF/Borno Govt. Vaccinates 350,000 Children Against Diphtheria in Maiduguri
By: Our Reporter
The humanitarian medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Borno State Ministry of Health have successfully completed a vaccination campaign against diphtheria targeting children up to 14 years old in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Borno State, northeast Nigeria.
The campaign began with a first round from 9 to 15 February 2026, which reached 490,000 children, far exceeding the initial target of 387,000. A second round was conducted from 9 to 15 April 2026, targeting 360,000 children reached during the first round to strengthen immunity. Despite the high number of children reached, limited vaccine availability constrained the scale of response.
Nigeria is grappling with one of its most severe diphtheria epidemics in history, with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reporting 65,759 suspected cases and 2,229 deaths as of 22 March 2026 since May 2022 and officially declaring an outbreak in 2023. In Borno State, one of the most affected areas, MSF has treated more than 7,400 suspected cases since 2023, with 4,200 treated in the past year alone. Furthermore, MSF is treating thousands of people suspected or confirmed to have diphtheria across the country, in close collaboration with state Ministries of Health, and currently supports activities in Bauchi, Borno, Kano, and Sokoto states.
Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease that spreads primarily through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a thick grey membrane in the throat that can obstruct breathing. In severe cases, the bacterial toxin can damage the heart, nerves, and kidneys, potentially leading to complications such as paralysis. For unvaccinated persons without proper treatment, diphtheria can be fatal in around 30% of cases, with young children at higher risk of dying.
MSF supported the Borno State Ministry of Health to run the vaccination campaign, providing comprehensive logistical support including vaccine storage, transportation, and remuneration for vaccination teams; health promotion and awareness activities; and program supervision. The Ministry of Health provided the vaccines used in the campaign. This collaborative effort ensured high coverage, with communities responding enthusiastically to outreach efforts across both rounds.
“This vaccination will help to significantly boost immunity levels of children below 14 years old in Maiduguri, the area responsible for most of the diphtheria cases we saw in our treatment center. This proactive step is essential to controlling and preventing the disease,” said MSF emergency coordinator for the project, Nao Muramoto.
In addition, MSF supported the diphtheria treatment unit (DTU) at Maiduguri Teaching and Training Hospital in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The DTU saw a surge in suspected cases during the campaign, reflecting heightened awareness and improved referrals by community health workers during the vaccination efforts.
“Sustained routine immunization against diphtheria, improved access in volatile areas, and tackling vaccine hesitancy remain essential to prevent future surges of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria. “Access to more vaccines is needed, as efforts to reach the children of Borno State should remain a priority to avoid further contaminations, to cut the transmissions, and to save lives,” concludes Nao Muramoto.
Beyond its support to diphtheria treatment and vaccination, MSF also supports the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) in Maiduguri, a 60-bed referral maternity and obstetric emergencies hospital with an intensive care unit (ICU) and neonatal ICU, and the Shuwari Primary Healthcare Centre and the Nilefa Kiji nutrition hospital, where our teams treat children under five suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition with medical complications.
Nigeria: MSF/Borno Govt. Vaccinates 350,000 Children Against Diphtheria in Maiduguri
Fiscal Storm: ActionAid Slams ₦34trn Revenue Deductions, Calls for Transparency
By: Michael Mike
ActionAid Nigeria has called for an urgent forensic audit of Nigeria’s revenue management system following revelations that more than ₦34 trillion was deducted from federal earnings before allocation to the three tiers of government.
The organisation said the scale of the deductions—accounting for over 40 per cent of federal revenue in recent years—points to systemic weaknesses in public financial management and poses a serious threat to fiscal stability and development financing.
In a statement issued on Thursday, ActionAid said findings by the World Bank confirmed that a significant portion of government income is being absorbed through pre-distribution charges, including cost-of-collection frameworks and agency remittances, with limited transparency on their composition and utilisation.
“These findings reinforce long-standing concerns about Nigeria’s widening fiscal constraints and rising debt burden,” the group said. “The persistence of large-scale revenue leakages represents both a governance failure and a missed opportunity to strengthen fiscal stability.”
According to the organisation, the deductions—estimated at more than ₦34 trillion—have continued to rise alongside government revenues, leaving federal, state, and local governments with significantly reduced resources to fund public services.
ActionAid warned that the trend is worsening Nigeria’s reliance on borrowing, citing projections by the International Monetary Fund that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio could climb to 33.1 per cent by 2027.
“The widening gap between gross revenue and distributable income is constraining development financing and increasing dependence on debt,” the statement added.
The group expressed particular concern over what it described as “opaque and fragmented” revenue channels, noting that substantial portions of national income pass through multiple layers before reaching the Federation Account.
It said the lack of public disclosure around these deductions—including their justification, structure, and end-use—raises critical accountability questions.
“There is limited transparency on how these funds are managed,” the organisation stated. “This opacity weakens fiscal oversight and undermines public trust in governance.”
ActionAid also pointed to broader implications for national development, warning that reduced public revenue is limiting government capacity to invest in essential sectors such as healthcare, education, security, and social protection.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, said the consequences are already being felt by millions of Nigerians.
“For citizens grappling with rising inflation, declining purchasing power, and economic hardship, the continued reduction in available public resources means fewer investments in essential services,” he said.
He added that weakening fiscal capacity is also exacerbating insecurity, as economic pressures fuel crime, displacement, and social instability.
“At a time when livelihoods are becoming more fragile, the erosion of public revenue further limits the government’s ability to respond effectively to these challenges,” Mamedu said.
The organisation further criticised the lack of transparency surrounding major public expenditures, citing concerns over projects such as the Nigeria Revenue Service building, where cost details and procurement processes have not been publicly disclosed.
“Citizens have a right to know how public funds are utilised,” the group said, stressing that accountability must extend beyond revenue collection to expenditure.
ActionAid warned that without urgent reforms, Nigeria risks entrenching a system where public resources are consistently depleted before they can deliver meaningful impact.
“The continued expansion of unchecked deductions poses a direct threat to equitable development, fiscal stability, and public trust,” it said.
To address the issue, the organisation called on the Federal Government to undertake a comprehensive and transparent review of all revenue deduction frameworks, with a view to ensuring accountability and efficiency.
It also demanded the immediate publication of detailed breakdowns of all deductions, strengthened independent oversight of revenue-generating agencies, and reforms to eliminate systemic leakages.
In addition, ActionAid urged the National Assembly to intensify its oversight role through public hearings and scrutiny of deduction structures, while calling on state governments, civil society, and the media to increase pressure for transparency.
“An independent forensic audit of all deduction mechanisms is critical to restoring public confidence,” the organisation said.
ActionAid added that Nigeria’s development trajectory depends not only on revenue generation but on how effectively public resources are managed and deployed.
“This is not just a fiscal issue; it is a matter of justice,” Mamedu said. “Every naira that fails to reach essential services denies Nigerians access to healthcare, education, and dignity.”
Fiscal Storm: ActionAid Slams ₦34trn Revenue Deductions, Calls for Transparency
Troops rescue two kidnapped victims in Benue
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 1 under Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have rescued two kidnapped victims in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 3:50 a.m. on April 15 when troops deployed at Kyado responded to a distress call on kidnapping activities in the area.
According to the sources, the troops swiftly moved to the scene, prompting the kidnappers to abandon their victims and flee.
The sources added that the troops successfully rescued the two victims and reunited them with their families.
Security operations have been intensified in the area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further incidents.
Troops rescue two kidnapped victims in Benue
Nigeria: MSF/Borno Govt. Vaccinates 350,000 Children Against Diphtheria in Maiduguri
Fiscal Storm: ActionAid Slams ₦34trn Revenue Deductions, Calls for Transparency
Troops rescue two kidnapped victims in Benue
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News12 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
