Nigeria has called for the inclusion of youths in climate actions while addressing the employment-climate-environment challenge.Speaking on Energy transition during a panel discussion on Global Coalition for Social Justice at the just-concluded International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, observed that with over 41 million people engaged in the informal biomass sector even as youth unemployment remains a significant challenge, the employment-climate-environment nexus is particularly critical.

  The minister stated that Nigeria’s demographic profile with over 60 per cent of the population under the age of 25 presents a unique opportunity to embed youth agency into climate action.

  “This is why an important effort is put into supporting green job creation for youth through waged employment and also self-employment and enterprise development,” he said.

  The minister disclosed that Nigeria has adopted a new National Employment Policy, which together with the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), emphasises just transition through social dialogue and a whole-of-society engagement.

  Dingyadi stressed that the policies are aimed at supporting the government in addressing challenges associated with climate actions, particularly focusing on supporting workers and communities impacted by the shift away from fossil fuels.

  “As an important energy producer, Nigeria pursues an energy transition from two perspectives. The first step is a gradual and orderly transition away from fossil fuels while the second step is the development of renewable energies for energy diversification.

  “In this context, Nigeria adopted in 2021 an Energy Transition Plan (ETP). The plan is a comprehensive, data-driven strategy aiming for net-zero emissions by 2060, focusing on reducing emissions in the power, cooking, oil and gas, transport, and industrial sectors.

  “The plan sets out a timeline and framework for emissions reduction, with a specific focus on transitioning to cleaner energy sources and technologies.

  “These have important implications for workers in the fossil fuels industry in Nigeria. This is why the ETP emphasises a just transition for workers and communities affected by the shift away from fossil fuels,” he said.

  While revealing that the energy sector is Nigeria’s largest emitter, accounting for 60 per cent of total GHG emissions, which is primarily from oil and gas production, electricity generation, and transportation, the minister added that the sector also holds vast potential for job creation and economic diversification through renewable energy expansion, clean cooking technologies, and grid modernisation.

  The Global Coalition for Social Justice was established by the International Labour Organisation in November 2023. The initiative aims to intensify collective efforts to urgently address social justice deficits and to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Decent Work Agenda.

  The ILO revealed that despite global, regional and national efforts, progress towards achieving the goals was off track, due to economic and other shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the cost of living, as well as environmental, technological and demographic transformations.

  The global labour body added that such immediate and longer-term forces were exacerbating poverty, inequalities and injustices, decent work deficits and social fractures in many countries, reinforcing mistrust in institutions and limiting access to opportunities such as education, financing and freely chosen employment.

  While maintaining that a human-centred and rights-based approach is required to tackle short-term crises and long-term trends, the ILO insisted that this approach should prioritise the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability in equal measure.