The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre has called for accountability and transparency in the energy transition process in Nigeria to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2060.
It also recommended tax incentives for investors in the clean energy sector as a way of encouragement and that stakeholders should always demand openness and investigation in the transition process
These were some of the recommendations reached at the end of a one-day training on Fossil Phase-Out Advocacy held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday, with the theme “Using the Instrumentality of Taxation for Energy Transition.”
There has been a global push towards net zero emissions, with many countries of the world, including Nigeria, pledging towards achieving net zero emissions within the 2060 target.
”There must be transparency and accountability in the transition process. Providing tax incentives to investors and stakeholders must demand tax openness and investigation in the transition process
“Government should embrace Interagency collaboration, and there should be capacity building for the managers of the process, “the recommendations read in part.
It further called on CSOs to carry out strong advocacy on the subsidy fund and its usage by the government, emphasizing that the revenue from subsidy was meant to be invested in the transition from fossil fuel to clean energy.
The organization further noted that global funding for climate change should be used at the national level to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa, reminded participants of the complex relationships between fossil fuel exploration, environmental degradation, and economic development.
Musa who was represented by his administrative officer, Mohammed Murtala, decried the devastating impact of climate change and the environmental, economic, and social consequences of fossil fuel exploration in Nigeria.
He lamented that communities in Akwa Ibom State are already experiencing the harsh realities of climate change occasioned by flooding and oil spills, emphasizing that there was the need to act swiftly to mitigate the impacts.
While noting that Nigeria has developed a comprehensive Energy Transition Plan aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, he challenged participants to ask the question,” Are we moving swiftly enough to meet our climate goals?
“Are our policies and actions aligned with the recommendations of the conference of parties to the United Nations framework convention on climate change?.”
