By Joan Nwagwu
The National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) has commended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for supporting workers’ protection and promoting decent job creation in Nigeria’s energy transition process.
Dr Omotenioye Majekodunmi, Director-General of NCCC, stated this at the ongoing two-day Tripartite Post-COP30 Review Workshop on Tuesday in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Majekodunmi, represented by Ms Jummai Vandu, member of the council, said this in her presentation titled “Operationalising Nigeria’s Just Transition.”
The workshop was attended by labour leaders, government officials and others stakeholders.
She said the council remained committed to aligning Nigeria’s climate goals with Africa’s vision for decent work, structural transformation, sovereign development and inclusive economic growth across strategic sectors of the economy.
According to her, the council believes strongly that a just transition cannot be separated from sustainable development, poverty eradication and protection of vulnerable workers affected by the global energy transition process.
“We firmly believe that a Just Transition is inseparable from sustainable development and poverty eradication,” she said.
Majekodunmi said the council was actively supporting critical international frameworks aimed at addressing social protection, workforce displacement and equity concerns arising from global climate and energy transition policies.
She identified the frameworks as the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) and the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), designed to support developing economies during implementation of climate transition programmes and reforms.
“We champion the Just Transition Work Programme as the multilateral platform necessary to address workforce displacement, equity and social protection during the global energy transition,” she said.
She added that the council relied on the JTM to secure technology transfer, financial support and specialised funding pipelines for developing economies pursuing low-carbon and sustainable development initiatives.
“We rely on the Just Transition Mechanism to turn policy into reality by securing targeted technology transfer and specialised financial pipelines for developing economies,” she said.
Majekodunmi said the council, under her leadership, was promoting inclusive green growth through domestic value-chain industrialisation, workforce reskilling and expanded economic opportunities for vulnerable populations nationwide.
According to her, the transition process must protect millions of informal workers, farmers and youths whose livelihoods may be affected by climate policies and changes in the nation’s energy systems.
“We are spearheading efforts for domestic value-chain industrialisation and targeted workforce reskilling.
“This is to ensure the transition expands opportunities and protects millions of informal workers, farmers and youths,” she said.
The NCCC boss reaffirmed solidarity with the NLC in protecting jobs and ensuring that no Nigerian worker was excluded from opportunities created by the transition process.
“The creation of decent work is our primary metric for success.
“We stand in full solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress to protect jobs and ensure no worker and Nigerian is left or pushed behind,” she said.
Majekodunmi also commended the ILO for providing technical support toward developing robust and portable social protection systems for Nigeria’s workforce during the transition process. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)