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The just concluded 16th United Nations climate change conference
in Cancun, Mexico, marked a turning point for the struggle by African countries
to get a United Nations mechanism compelling developed countries to fund
programmes on the continent to cushion the impact of climate change on
Africans.

At the close of the conference, a new climate funding mechanism,
known as the Green Climate Fund, was established under the conference of
parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Forestry conservation and protection also became part of the strategic
agreement, meaning vulnerable and indigenous people whose livelihood are
depended on forestry now stand to benefit.

The implication of the Cancun Agreement for Africa is
overwhelming. The continent now has the opportunity to access funds and
technology that would assist her adapt to the vulnerability of climate change.

At the conference, the continent, through the African Group,
displayed its commitment to the African position by calling attention to how
vulnerable the continent is and how climate change is already impacting the
livelihoods of millions of Africans.

Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, and South Africa were the vocal
countries whose voices were heard in all plenary and all sessions demanding for
a fair and just deal that will not jeopardise the interest of Africa.

But the giant of Africa, Nigeria, was completely missing from
the scene. Statistics from the conference organisers showed that the country
had the largest contingent to the conference from Africa.

A document from the ministry of environment said “Nigeria will
proactively play a leading role amongst developing countries to influence the
African positions, align with G77+ China negotiating block, and emphasise the
principle of equity and the right to develop within the framework of common but
differentiated responsibilities and capabilities.”

But in the first week of the conference, delegates from other
countries and non-governmental organisation delegates from Nigeria were
disturbed by the clear absence of Nigeria, which hitherto had played a
leadership role in the African Group.

Investigations on why the country was missing from such an
important global conference showed that while other countries were busy
negotiating and forming the global architecture of an all-inclusive climate
change treaty, the country was locked in a power tussle over who heads the
Nigeria climate change unit.

The financial resources to sponsor delegates to the conference
was also not available and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
office in Nigeria had to come to the rescue by offsetting the travel and
accommodation cost of most of the delegates who only spent one out of the two
weeks that the conference lasted.

An official of the ministry of environment, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the situation regarding Nigeria’s participation
was a disgrace.

“The problem about Nigeria’s participation at the Cancun
conference are many,” the source said.

“An initial list of delegates contained names of people who have
no reason coming to Cancun, more than three quarter of the money allocated for
the conference in the 2010 budget was almost spent before the conference
started, and personal ambition and interest in the climate change unit over
Nigeria’s interest caused unnecessary delay for delegates who were to represent
the country.”

Victor Fodeke, Nigeria’s climate change focal person and head of
the climate change unit at the ministry of environment, was removed from office
shortly before the conference started in a style that was not compatible with
existing civil service rules.

Calls to the minister of Environment, John Odey, for comments on
the issue went unanswered.

Folade Adesina, an environmentalist with Global Environment
Watch, said at the conference that the country’s no show at Cancun was a
reflection of how low the government rated issues of environment and climate
change in particular.

“Climate change has become another money making window for
government officials; how it impacts the ordinary citizen is not important to
them,” Mr. Adesina said.

Hassan Ibn of the Climate Alliance Network said Nigeria had the
highest representation from Africa to the conference, yet their voices were not
heard anywhere.

“The Nigerian contingents were in complete disarray, no
coordination, no agenda to pursue, you hardly find them speaking in sessions.
But at home, government is shouting ‘we are the most vulnerable’,” Mr. Ibn
said.

Wasted opportunity

Smaller countries have taken over the leadership role on climate
change on the continent while Nigeria, which would be one of the hardest hit
countries as a result of climate change, went to sleep.

One is, therefore, not surprised that Meles Zewani, prime
minister of Ethiopia, was nominated as a co-chair of the UN secretary general’s
high level committee to recommend how the world would find the 100 billion
dollars needed to address the impact of climate change in developing countries
by 2020.

A visit to Ethiopia’s stand at the just concluded Cancun
conference speaks volume of how the country had used the opportunity and
platform of the conference to woo investors to the various sectors of her
economy.

South Africa was granted the right to host the 2011 climate
change and had a visible exhibition area at the Cancun conference to discuss
and interact with investors.

Efe Joseph, a representative of the Nigeria’s indigenous peoples
at the conference, said South Africa “is in charge of climate change issues in
Africa.”

A business roundtable organised by Nigeria at the conference to
woo investors was poorly attended, as less than five foreigners participated
and they were served the “usual African time” as the roundtable started six
hours after it was due to take off. It was not only ill timed, as it coincided
with the official opening ceremony of the conference, but caused thousands of
Nigerian tax payers’ dollars.

In 2009, at the Copenhagen climate change conference, Nigeria
had a stand where the country’s potentials and resources were on display. But
at Cancun, no such stand existed and government officials were holding meetings
in hotel rooms that were a two-hour drive from the conference venue.

Mr. Joseph said no attempt was made by government to promote the
plight of Nigerians in the Niger Delta at the conference.

“We all saw the impact and the role of Bolivia at the
conference; Bolivia, until the last minute, was campaigning for the inclusion
in the Cancun Agreement clause that favours her indigenous people,” he said.

But participants said the country can still benefit from the new
environment climate if her officials get their acts together. For instance, the
new Green Climate Fund will require representation on the board from developing
and developed countries and Nigeria can take one of the seats.

Nigeria can also strategise to host a component of the proposed technology
transfer institute that will assist developing countries.