STEVE UNEGBU, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has disclosed that he is ready to partner with stakeholders in promoting climate change initiatives in the State.
Governor Otti made this known when he received in audience a delegation of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office – Partnership Agile Governance and Climate Change (FCDO-PACE) in his office in Umuahia.
He said that partnering with experts like the FCDO-PACE is the right thing to do as it would bring about solutions and finding ways of mitigating climate change effects as well as addressing its challenges. He said his team would sit down and work out the best practical ways of handling it.
“What we are doing is actually the direction. We will sit down, study, understand it, and then come up with solutions.”
The Governor, who emphasised that his administration is anchored on a strong value system, rooted in strategic planning, diligent execution, and measurable outcomes, reiterated his unwavering commitment to disciplined governance, climate action, and evidence-based policy implementation.
While lamenting that many well-conceived strategies, such as policy documents that date back to the 1960s and 1970s, have been abandoned due to poor follow-up and noted that, the country has intelligent minds and sound policy frameworks but lacks consistent implementation of the good and beautiful ideas.
Governor Otti stressed the need for structures that would ensure efficiency and sustainability to be put in place and called for careful planning in the transition to renewable energy, even as he noted that, unchecked industrial and economic activities, especially in the private sector, contribute significantly to environmental degradation.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna highlighted how the Governor has shown great commitment and support in the area of climate change and informed the delegation that the administration of the Governor created a Climate Change Department as well as organised State wide engagement on climate change.
He added that the Governor’s commitment has made Abia to be ranked No 8 out of the 36 States in climate change initiatives, and that UNIDO has also selected Abia State for an award on circular economy.
He said that the Governor equally ensured that Abia attended the world congress on climate change and is about to attend another event in Germany and thanked the Governor for his support to issues around environment.
Speaking earlier, the National Team Lead of FCDO-PACE, Mr. Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke said that FCDO-PACE is a United Kingdom Government initiative which operates at the intersection of governance reform and climate change responses and expressed its readiness to partner Abia Government on climate change initiatives.
While identifying potential areas of collaboration, such as climate finance readiness, green budgeting, and policy alignment, Mr. Ugwuoke described the programme as part of a broader bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom spanning over two decades.
He commended Governor Otti’s commitment to transparent governance and climate action, his achievements in the last two years as well as the Governor’s visionary leadership, which is in alignment with international best practices.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Climate Change and Sustainability, Ms Esther Chioma Ajah was among top government officials at the event and received commendations both from the Governor and the visiting FCDO-PACE.
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