- Tinubu announced that Nigeria has activated a carbon market, expected to unlock up to $3 billion annually, alongside new climate finance platforms targeting up to $30 billion a year.
- He said Nigeria is expanding clean power access and pursuing net-zero by 2060 through green industrialisation and decentralised energy reforms.
President Bola Tinubu told world leaders in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, January 12, that Nigeria is mobilising climate finance through a new carbon market framework. The framework, as stated, could generate between $2.5 billion and $3 billion each year over the next decade.
He spoke at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, themed The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go. Tinubu said Nigeria has taken regulatory steps to strengthen climate governance and improve transparency.
The government has also adopted the National Carbon Market Activation Policy. It has also launched a National Carbon Registry to support emissions reporting and verification.
Meanwhile, Tinubu said Nigeria intends to position itself at the centre of climate-related investment. He announced a climate and green industrialisation programme designed to unlock between $20 billion and $30 billion annually in climate finance.
The President referenced the 2023 Electricity Act, which supports decentralised and inclusive energy access for rural communities and underserved regions. He said Nigeria is modernising its energy architecture to supply sustainable power to these communities.
Tinubu said Nigeria needs to deploy technology to improve efficiency, upgrade infrastructure and accelerate delivery of clean energy to underserved areas. He said artificial intelligence will play a role in improving energy system performance.
Furthermore, the President announced several financing initiatives. They include a climate investment platform targeting $500 million for resilient infrastructure, a national climate platform aiming to support $2 billion in capital investment, and a $50 billion sub-regional green bond that was oversubscribed by 97.7%.
Tinubu also noted that the World Bank is implementing a $750 million programme to expand clean electricity to more than 17.5 million Nigerians.
He described Nigeria’s energy transition plan as a single framework that combines climate mitigation, industrial growth and social development. The plan also aims for net-zero emissions by 2060 and universal access to energy.
The President called for partnerships with developed countries on technology transfer, innovation and knowledge exchange. He said international cooperation will be essential to the success of the energy transition.
In addition, Nigeria approved the National Carbon Market Framework in October 2025. The framework sets rules for carbon credit registration, issuance and verification. The government later operationalised the Climate Change Fund. The National Council on Climate Change was also returned to the federal budget.
Nigeria designed its carbon market to support emissions reduction in forestry, renewable energy, clean cooking and agriculture. The country submitted updated climate commitments to the United Nations in September 2025.