Nigeria Defends Large COP30 Delegation As Presidency Says Broad Expertise Needed To Protect National Interests

 

Nigeria’s presidency has pushed back against rising criticism over the size of the country’s delegation to COP30, stressing that the global climate conference demands broad technical representation from across government and society. Officials argue that the scope of climate discourse now spans finance, energy, environment, transport, agriculture, security and emerging carbon market frameworks, making a narrow attendance potentially harmful to national interests.

Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi explained that climate negotiations involve dozens of thematic tracks that require experts from relevant ministries, departments and agencies to defend policy positions and engage with technical drafting groups. According to him, the country risks being sidelined in critical decisions on climate finance and energy transition if its presence at negotiation tables is limited.

Ajayi also clarified that the figures circulated publicly often include a large number of private actors who are not funded by the federal government. He noted that civil society groups, activists, academics, business leaders and other non state participants usually register under their country of nationality, which inflates the overall tally attributed to a nation even when they attend independently.

The clarification followed remarks by Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who accused the administration of misplaced priorities after the United Nations list showed 749 Nigerian registrants under the Parties and Parties Overflow categories. Obi compared this to China’s 789 delegates and questioned why a country with far fewer resources sent a similarly large team.

Further details from the UNFCCC list revealed that of the 749 delegates associated with government agencies, roughly 423 were from identifiable federal and state institutions. These included the core climate bodies such as the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Council on Climate Change, NESREA, NOSDRA, NiMet and NIHSA. Others came from ministries overseeing finance, trade, power, solid minerals, agriculture, water resources, transport, aviation and housing.

Ajayi cautioned against what he described as shallow reactions that overlook the functional purpose of COP participation. He insisted that Nigeria must maintain a strong footprint at international negotiations where rules that affect national development goals are shaped. Many climate related commitments, he added, have direct implications for energy security, access to global funding and compliance with emerging carbon regulations.

A second senior official also maintained that the outrage was misplaced since many participants were self sponsored or funded by development partners and international projects. Listings frequently marked delegates as guests of nominating entities, affiliate staff or contracted partners, reflecting the wide ecosystem of actors involved in climate work.

Nigeria’s attendance at COP gatherings has sparked debate in previous years. The controversy resurfaced at COP30 as the number of total Nigerian registrants climbed to 1,453, the largest ever recorded. This figure cut across federal institutions, state delegations, lawmakers, private sector players, NGOs, youth groups, academic institutions, professional associations and Nigeria’s diplomatic missions.

State governments from Lagos, Rivers, Borno, Delta, Oyo, Nasarawa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and others registered commissioners, lawmakers and technical officers involved in climate or environmental portfolios. Regulators and institutions tied to the energy and extractive sectors also appeared prominently, including NNPC Ltd, NUPRC, NMDPRA, PTDF, Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Ltd and HYPREP.

Presidency officials maintained that Nigeria should not shy away from global platforms where key decisions about climate finance, adaptation, mitigation and accountability frameworks are formed. They argued that remaining visible and active is essential for advancing national development priorities and maintaining leverage in an increasingly competitive global climate arena.