Leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC has joined forces with the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour, a national initiative aimed at promoting climate resilience and sustainable development across Nigeria to further the goals of the project.
Speaking at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja venue of the event on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, during which the initiative was inaugurated, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urged governors, Organised Private Sector actors and fellow stakeholders to lead Nigeria’s climate transition, transforming awareness into practical action at all levels.
The President who was represented by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, also called on governors, private sector leaders, and stakeholders to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy.
Tinubu noted that climate change was not only a risk, but also an opportunity for innovation, growth, and national development.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President emphasised that Nigeria stood at a defining moment as the global transition to low-carbon development accelerated, saying; “capital is shifting, markets are evolving, and technology is transforming industries. Nigeria intends to lead tomorrow.”
Tinubu further said that the tour would take climate awareness beyond conference halls into communities, engaging governors, traditional rulers, students, innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, and financial institutions nationwide. By so doing, he added that, bankable projects will be identified, local solutions unlocked, climate finance capacity strengthened, and partnerships between the public and private sectors mobilise.
To the stakeholders, the President said that nationally determined contributions were commitments to reduce emissions, enhance resilience, and safeguard communities, saying, “commitments must be matched with action, supported by investment, and this tour bridges that gap.”
He further tasked 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.
He said; “climate resilience is national security. Leadership is not a budget; it is a result we must accept with confidence. Nigeria chooses leadership over hesitation,”
Speaking in turn, the Director of Forestry in the ministry, Halima Bawa, stressed the urgency of confronting climate change, noting its effects, including desert encroachment, flooding, coastal erosion, and erratic rainfall affecting farmers.
Bawa 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.
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.
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.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Babajide Alo, emphasised that climate resilience required locally led adaptation, community empowerment, and capacity-building to actively manage climate risks and implement sustainable solutions.
“Securing Nigeria’s climate future requires revisiting priorities and lifestyles, embracing responsible consumption, reducing carbon footprints, and embedding sustainable development in every sector,” Alo said, calling for action at all levels.
For Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, the Chief Risk Officer, Mrs Shakira Mustapha said the target of well-wishers of Nigeria is a net zero emission by 2060.
She said; “We commit to achievement of the goals. We are committed to it; and we will continue to innovate to achieve environmental-friendly operations to align with Federal government goal on sustainability. We will continue to support the movement to achieve these set goals”.
Last September, Nigeria submitted its NDC 3.0, committing to reduce Green House Gas, GHG emissions by 32% by 2035. Nigeria has now committed to reducing Green House Gas by 29% by 2030 and 32% by 2035 compared to 2018 levels.
In attendance at the event were top government functionaries including presidential aides and key private sector drivers, including a strong delegation from Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.
According to REHCCAT, the Key Sectoral Goals of the Tour include: to achieve a 60% reduction in fugitive emissions (leaks and venting) from the oil and gas industry; a major focus with a mitigation potential of 27.3 Mt CO2e and achieve 52% of on-grid and off-grid generation capacity from renewable energy sources.
Other Key Sectoral Goals include; replacing power generation of 100% diesel and single-cycle steam turbines with combined-cycle turbines by 2030, reduce tree cutting by 60% and transition 30% of vehicles by 2035.
Declaring that the aforementioned goals require $337 billion in investment by 2035, REHCCAT stressed that “we don’t have a Plan B, because we don’t have a Planet B,” even as it called on the private sector to contribute through innovation to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Awareness Tour has been scheduled to visit all six geographical zones in the country to promote awareness of climate change across Nigeria.
