Nigerian delegates, alongside their counterparts from other African countries under the African Group of Negotiators, will push for the establishment of a legally binding instrument on drought management and increased financing to address desertification and land degradation across the continent at the forthcoming 17th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Mongolia.
The Director of the Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Management Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Etim William, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES ahead of the conference.
“Nigeria, alongside other African countries, wants to push for a legally binding instrument on drought management. This is an African position, and Nigeria supports that position,” Mr William told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr William, who is also the UNCCD focal point for the Nigerian government, said the proposed instrument would essentially establish a protocol for managing drought.
“That is one of the areas Nigeria will push for at the COP. Other areas include finance. We need to push for more financial support to meet our national needs and fund our National Adaptation Plan,” he said.
