The number of Nigerian delegates currently attending the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP28) taking place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, has attracted sharp criticisms from opposition parties and Civil Society Organisations in the country. This is because the citizens are not comfortable with the borrowing spree by government to fund its programmes and projects. The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government reportedly sponsored about 1,411 delegates with all travelling allowances fully paid for the climate change conference that will end in two days’ time, which started on November 30th, 2023.
The presidency, however, has denied this, insisting that most of the people attending the conference were either sponsored by corporate organisations or state governments, and that it was only 422 delegates sponsored by the federal government. A close look at the data from COP28 organisers’ registration platforms shows that 1,411 Nigerians registered, making her the fourth highest nation in number, besides UAE, Brazil and China. Nigeria’s number rose from 169 delegates that attended last year’s edition. The outcry is not against the conference itself or where it is taking place.
In fact, it is important that Nigeria should attend since it is a forum for governments of countries to agree on policies to limit temperature rise, with a view to adapt new measures to mitigate climate change. However, the number of people that left their duty posts to embark on this trip is worrisome because it’s too early in the day for the government to move such a large number of officials at this time without recourse to the financial implications, even as the people groan.
Ours is a country where things happen so shamefully, that the country suddenly has become a laughing stock and no one is bothered. It is laughable that Nigeria is competing with China, UAE and Brazil on the number of delegates for a conference, but surprisingly, cannot match these countries in matters of development and proper implementation of policies that are impactful on the lives of the people. The previous administration for eight years, practically lived in denial and refused to listen to the voices of many Nigerians who warned about the poor state of the economy, but today, what we hear is that the economy had been badly managed, giving rise to excessive borrowing to fund almost everything.
In the midst of this uncertainty, the current government therefore, should save Nigerians the harrowing experiences of the past. No matter how people look at it, the truth is, Nigerians cannot buy common bread for their families. Everybody is speaking about the poor state of the economy. People can feel the pain, including those that pretend all is well. Government over the years has neglected its duty, and even at that, some of the president’s aides are defending the indefensible on national television. We are in a democracy, and it’s high time we realise that good governance cannot be compromised. It must not be what people say, but how transformative the lives of the people and the society become.
We suggest that resources we waste on oversea conferences, especially on those whose offices are not directly concerned with such programmes be jettisoned. There is no reason for a country whose economy is bleeding to sponsor a whole village to overseas conference, whereas those they are leading cannot boast of one full meal a day. We cannot praise the federal government when she goes about sponsoring those whose salaries are more than enough to overseas conference, when the country cannot boast of a functional refinery, good road network system and other social malaise threatening the very existence of the citizens. Nigerians deserve better than what they are getting.
The country is not in short supply of natural endowment, both human and material. Attending COP28 was good for the country being a member of the global village, but what the people frown at is the number of people who do not have any business being there. We call on President Tinubu, going forward, to begin to look into the activities of his lieutenants and ensure that the welfare of the people outweighs the ambitions of the few that may be around him for their own personal aggrandisement. Movements of government officials should be tied to the impact and relevance it would bring to the country, especially at this time of hardship!
