U.S. special envoy on climate John Kerry has pledged U.S. support to help Nigeria mitigate the effects of climate change, saying Africa’s most populous nation would benefit from a $12 billion fund for climate action.
Kerry who began a two-nation West Africa visit in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, said this when he met with Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.
He also met with top government officials including ministers of environment, petroleum resources, and agriculture, and signed the Clean Energy Demand Initiative.
He said the agreement allows the U.S government to assist Nigeria in developing technologies for cleaner fuel sources, including gas, wind, and solar energy.
“Nigeria is a very important, if not one of the most important, countries in terms of the direction of dealing with climate for all of Africa because Nigeria is a major producer of gas and oil and how Nigeria approaches the climate crisis will send a message to the rest of the continent, will help set the direction of our dealing with the climate crisis,” Kerry said while addressing newsmen.