The Presidency on Sunday defended the size and composition of Nigeria’s delegation to the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), saying climate negotiations require officials from multiple ministries and agencies to protect the country’s interests.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, revealed that climate talks cut across energy, finance, environment, transport, agriculture and security, making a lean team insufficient.
“Because of the multidisciplinary and multidimensional nature of the climate subject, you will typically see government officials from different agencies representing the government’s interest across different subject-matter areas,” Ajayi said.
Obi Criticises Delegation
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the Tinubu-led government’s decision to send a 749-member delegation to COP30 as a “stunning display of misplaced priorities.”
Documents from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change indicate that 749 delegates carried Nigeria’s party badge under the “Parties” and “Parties overflow” lists, though the number of government officials was around 423.
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These included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), NESREA, NOSDRA, NiMet, NIHSA, other federal ministries and agencies, state governments, and regulators such as NNPCL, NUPRC, NMDPRA, NPA and NCAA.
Obi compared Nigeria’s delegation to China’s, noting that China sent 789 delegates to COP30 in Brazil. He argued that Nigeria’s high levels of multidimensional poverty make such a large delegation inappropriate.
Presidency Responds to Criticism
Ajayi clarified that most attendees are non-state actors whose names are counted under their countries of origin but are not sponsored by the government.
“A larger majority of attendees at COPs are usually civil society organisations, activists, and private-sector participants. Does it mean the government paid for them? No,” he said.
He further explained that prominent Nigerian business leaders, such as Dangote and Tony Elumelu, attended the summit in their private capacity, not as government delegates.
Breakdown of the Delegation
The COP30 delegate list included officials from federal and state governments, parliament, academia, the private sector, NGOs, and youth and women’s networks. Many were listed as “guests of the nominating entity” or as contract staff funded by private projects.
At least 1,453 Nigerians were registered for COP30, up from 1,411 at COP28 in Dubai. The largest bloc comprised core climate agencies, energy and extractive regulators, transport and marine authorities, and state government representatives.
Importance of Representation
Ajayi insisted that Nigeria’s strong presence at COP30 was necessary to advance national interests in climate finance, energy transition, and carbon markets. He warned against “shallow commentary” on delegation size, emphasizing that proper representation is crucial in complex international negotiations.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
