Nigeria has called for urgent and aggressive measures to combat the catastrophic impact of climate change, emphasizing that it is a global crisis that demands immediate action.
It also restated its support for the preservation of democracy, the protection of civil rights across the Commonwealth, as well as ongoing reforms in the organisation, focusing more on results-oriented value creation.
These, among others, were Nigeria’s priorities at the just-concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Apia, the capital of the Independent State of Samoa, between October 21 and 26, 2024.
The Nigerian delegation to the meeting was led by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, after technical flight issues prevented Vice President Kashim Shettima from representing his boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the summit.
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Speaking shortly after a visit to the Moataa village, a community in Apia decorated with Nigerian colours and flags, Lawal, told world leaders at CHOGM 2024 that Nigeria has had its unpalatable share of the devastating impact of climate change through flooding, degraded lands and rising sea levels.
Meanwhile, a New Secretary General of the Commonwealth has emerged. She is Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. Nigeria and other Nations voted for her during the meeting of the Commonwealth Leaders on Saturday.
In a communiqué issued by the Commonwealth Secretariat at the end of the meeting, the Leaders commended the King’s unwavering commitment to a more sustainable and resilient future for the 56 member countries of Commonwealth, and to strengthening education, health and climate resilience, particularly in small island developing states (SIDS), a commitment that has inspired the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
