The Cross River Government says the state’s climate transition plan targets to attract green investments, unlock climate finance, and strengthen climate resilience.
The disclosure was made in Calabar on Thursday at the end of a two-day workshop to develop climate transition Plan for the state.
The workshop attracted the presence of government officials, development partners and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, Gov. Bassey Otu, said that the workshop aimed to develop a framework to turn the state’s forest resources and biodiversity into sustainable economic opportunities.
Otu said that the plan would strengthen environmental protection, create jobs and improve livelihoods.
Represented by the Speaker, Cross River House of Assembly, Mr Elvert Ayambem, Otu said that the workshop would enable the state to benefit from emerging global green economic opportunities.
The governor described climate change as an urgent economic reality that required coordinated action across sectors.
He said that the climate transition plan was in alignment with his administration’s People First Agenda, and would integrate climate priorities into development planning.
According to the governor, the process will begin with four baseline assessments across the 18 local government areas of the state.
He stated that the assessments would establish the state’s emissions profile, identify climate vulnerabilities, determine mitigation priorities, and strengthen its capacity to attract climate finance.
Otu further said that the findings would guide the development of investment-ready projects in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, waste management and nature-based solutions.
“Cross River hosts more than half of Nigeria’s remaining rainforests, it has a strategic role to play in environmental conservation and the transition to a green economy,” he said.
He reiterated the need to integrate climate priorities into sectoral plans, annual budgets, and government development programmes to ensure measurable outcomes.
Otu thanked Future Funds, the Under2 Coalition, and the Climate Group for providing a seed grant to support the process.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, and the United Nations Development Programme to the state’s development priorities.
Mr Oden Ewa, the State Special Envoy on Climate Missions, said that the initiative was built on institutional foundations, and established through climate change and green economy legislation.
Ewa, a former commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, said that the legislation provided the statutory basis for establishing the state council on climate change and the green economy commission.
He said that the priority was to translate existing legal and institutional frameworks into measurable economic, social, and environmental outcomes.
He said that the plan would protect the state’s natural heritage, secure financing for climate initiatives, and deliver tangible benefits to residents.
He urged stakeholders to work together to position Cross River, as a model of climate resilience and green economic growth in Nigeria and Africa at large.(NAN)
