President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour (REHCCAT), a national initiative aimed at promoting climate resilience and sustainable development across Nigeria. 

Speaking at the State House Conference, Mr Tinubu urged governors, organised private-sector actors, and other stakeholders to lead Nigeria’s climate transition, transforming awareness into practical action at all levels.

Represented by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, the president said climate change was not only a risk but also an opportunity for innovation, growth, and national development.
Mr Tinubu stated, “Today we inaugurate a movement, the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour. It is a national call to action, a call to innovation, opportunity, and sustainable development for all Nigerians.”

He highlighted the impacts of climate change across the country: droughts affecting northern farmers, coastal erosion and flooding in the south, business disruptions, energy supply challenges, and the future of Nigerian youth.

Mr Tinubu stressed that Nigeria stood at a defining moment as the global transition to low-carbon development accelerated.
“Capital is shifting, markets are evolving, and technology is transforming industries. Nigeria intends to lead tomorrow,” he said.
He explained that the tour would take climate awareness beyond conference halls into communities, engaging governors, traditional rulers, students, innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, and financial institutions nationwide.

“Through this tour, we will identify bankable projects, unlock local solutions, strengthen climate finance capacity, and mobilise partnerships between the public and private sectors,” he added.
The president emphasised that nationally determined contributions were commitments to reduce emissions, enhance resilience, and safeguard communities.

“Commitments must be matched with action, supported by investment, and this tour bridges that gap,” he said.

He urged young Nigerians to take ownership of the climate transition, stressing that their ideas, technology, and entrepreneurship would shape the nation’s future while aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Climate resilience is national security. Leadership is not a budget; it is a result we must accept with confidence. Nigeria chooses leadership over hesitation,” Mr Tinubu said.

Also, Mr Lawal, represented by the director of forestry, Halima Bawa, highlighted the urgency of confronting climate change, noting its effects, including desert encroachment, flooding, coastal erosion, and erratic rainfall affecting farmers.

Mr Lawal lauded the Climate Change Act 2021 for establishing a legal framework for coordinated climate governance, carbon budgeting, and a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2060, institutionalising climate action across sectors.

He stressed the need for climate governance to extend beyond federal initiatives, urging implementation at subnational and grassroots levels to ensure meaningful impact in communities.

Special Assistant to the President on Climate Change Matters, Yussuf Kelani, said the tour represented a national movement grounded in leadership, collaboration, and commitment to Nigeria’s environmental and economic security.

Mr Kelani, chairman of the REHCCAT Committee, said the initiative sought to democratise climate knowledge, align federal and state-level action with Nigeria’s NDCs, and mobilise partnerships, green jobs, and climate finance.

He said, “REHCCAT will proceed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, beginning with two strategic states per zone, and convene high-level policy dialogues with governors, commissioners, state legislatures, youth, women, farmers, artisans, and community leaders.”
The guest speaker, Babajide Alo, emphasised that climate resilience required locally led adaptation, community empowerment, and capacity-building to actively manage climate risks and implement sustainable solutions.

Mr Aliyu also called for action at all levels.  
Mr Alo said, “Securing Nigeria’s climate future requires revisiting priorities and lifestyles, embracing responsible consumption, reducing carbon footprints, and embedding sustainable development in every sector.”

(NAN)