Education
Gov Mbah pitches Enugu to global climate investors in London – EnviroNews
– Advertisement –
Governor Peter Mbah has presented Enugu State as one of Africa’s emerging destinations for climate investment, calling on global investors, development finance institutions, philanthropies, and climate funds to partner with the state in delivering a new generation of green growth and climate-resilient development projects.
Speaking during the Nigeria Climate Investment Showcase held on the sidelines of London Climate Action Week (LCAW), Governor Mbah said Enugu was deliberately positioning itself to become a leading subnational destination for climate finance and sustainable investment in Africa.
Represented at the event by senior officials of the state’s climate leadership team led by Secretary to the State Government Professor Chidiebere Onyia, the governor highlighted the significant institutional reforms already undertaken by the administration to create an enabling environment for climate investment.
“Climate finance increasingly flows to projects that are large enough to matter, politically supported, institutionally credible, and capable of generating measurable economic and social benefits. Enugu is building exactly these conditions,” the governor stated.
Governor Mbah noted that Enugu has moved aggressively in recent years to establish the institutional foundations required to attract international climate finance. These include the enactment of a state climate law, the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the development of the Enugu State Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, investments in clean transport systems, urban greening initiatives, and the construction of smart green schools powered by rooftop solar systems.
London Climate Action Week, one of the world’s largest independent climate events, brings together governments, investors, businesses, cities, and civil society leaders to accelerate climate action and mobilise investment for the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
SSG to the Governor, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, speaking at the London Climate Action Week
The governor identified five major investment opportunities that the state is currently prioritising.
The first is an integrated waste-to-energy programme designed to tackle urban waste challenges while reducing methane emissions, generating employment, improving public health, and producing energy and compressed natural gas for the state’s growing clean transport sector. The programme is expected to benefit from growing international interest in methane reduction projects and carbon markets.
The second priority is the transition toward clean urban mobility. Building on ongoing investments in electric buses and planned compressed natural gas transportation systems, the state is seeking partnerships to expand CNG bus fleets, charging infrastructure, e-tricycles, integrated transport systems, and sustainable mobility corridors.
Governor Mbah also highlighted opportunities in climate-smart agriculture and rural resilience, noting that such investments simultaneously address food security, climate adaptation, livelihoods, and youth and women’s empowerment.
Other priority areas include green industrial and climate-resilient economic zones featuring solar-powered industrial parks, sustainable manufacturing, green logistics, and climate-resilient infrastructure that align with the administration’s economic transformation agenda.
The governor further emphasised the importance of clean cooking initiatives, which offer significant health, environmental, and social benefits, particularly for women and vulnerable households.
To strengthen investor confidence, the state has also developed a Climate Investment Plan that identifies priority projects, financing requirements, implementation responsibilities, and potential sources of funding.
In addition, plans are underway to establish a Climate Finance and Carbon Markets Unit to support project preparation, business case development, investor engagement, and climate finance tracking.
The state is also strengthening its climate data, monitoring, reporting, and verification systems to meet international standards.
Observers at the London event noted that subnational governments are increasingly becoming important actors in global climate action, with investors showing growing interest in states and cities that can demonstrate political commitment, institutional capacity, and bankable project pipelines.
For Enugu, Governor Mbah said the climate agenda is not simply about environmental protection but about economic transformation, job creation, energy access, improved public health, food security, and building resilience for future generations.
“As we build the future of Enugu, climate action and economic development will go hand in hand. We are inviting global partners to work with us in delivering projects that improve lives, create jobs, and build a prosperous and sustainable future for our people.”
The event was attended by global climate investors, project developers, policy makers, and technology companies who all declared keen interest to partner with Enugu to drive sustainable economic transformation in Enugu.
Other members of the delegation from Enugu State include Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, SPA on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development; and Ms Sandra Gerge, SPA on Revenue.
The participation of Enugu State at London Climate Action Week further reinforces the administration’s commitment to positioning the state as a leading destination for climate finance, green investment, and sustainable development in Nigeria and across Africa.
