From Our Correspondent
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has pledged to help Nigeria improve its response to the humanitarian crisis and reduce the poverty index through the new Climate change adaptation policy.
Chairman and Group Chief Executive of the Bank, Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Jasser, pledged while exchanging views with Dr Betta Edu, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation at the Ongoing COP28 Climate Change Conference In Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
The duo exchanged views on the sidelines of a high-level panel meeting held with critical stakeholders at the conference.
“It’s time for action on climate change induced humanitarian crises, Al-Jasser said in a statement.
TheNewsZenith reports that Rasheed Zubair, Senior Assistant (Media & Publicity) to Edu, issued the statement on Saturday.
Al-Jasser said IsDB decided to help Nigeria as part of efforts to align it’s objective with the “Paris Agreement”.
Al-Jasser said climate change has exposed countries to disasters, poverty, insecurity, and humanitarian crises.
“We must quickly intervene to protect the population through social protection and scale up of the social safety net.
“Nigeria needs the support of the IsDB through its beautiful initiatives. The time to act is now.
“This framework, being launched here at COP28 signals our readiness to collaborate with all stakeholders to harness the immense potential of the Paris Agreement for sustainable development,” he said.
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Such stakeholders, he listed, included governments, the private sector, civil society, and other development institutions.
Al-Jasser noted that as Chair of the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) Working Group on Climate Change, his group would coordinate efforts at the country level and support the development of long-term national strategies.
IsDB, he added, “stands ready to play its part, support member countries and work closely with strategic partners”.
Also speaking, Dr Edu said it was for countries to move from words, commitments and policy frameworks to actual implementation of the climate change adaptation plan.
“The federal government is ready for active partnerships that will translate into solutions for Nigerians,” she said.
The minister said Nigeria deserved the support of the bank.
“This is given President Tinubu’s laudable programmes and interventions in various sectors linked to climate change adaptation.
“We require humanitarian programmes to address issues of flooding, erosions, drying up of the Lake Chad basin amongst other.
“All the climate change induce issues have taken away livelihoods, displaced millions and heightened insecurity and insurgence,” Edu said.
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The minister said Nigerian Government set up the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund to reduce the poverty index.
It also aimed at promoting prompt responses to humanitarian situations across the country.
“The ‘Grow Nigeria’ is another intervention for climate change solutions.”
Dr Zeinab Usman, Director of Africa Program Carengie Endowment moderated the sideline panel.
UN Assistant Secretary General & CEO of African Risk Capacity Group, Mr Ibrahima Cheikh Diong and ILO Director for Priority Action Programme on Just Transitions, Dr Moustapha Gueye, AGRA President, attended the high-level meeting.
Dr Agnes Kalibata, IsDB Director Resilience & Climate Action, Syed Husain Quadri and Manager Climate Change and Environment, Dr Daouda Ndiaye also attended.
After the event, Edu held a meeting with IsDB President and technical team from the Head Office in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting was to flesh out details for a compact agreement between Nigeria and IsDB.
They also identify new projects and programmes that Nigeria can benefit from.
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