The Federal Government says President Bola Tinubu and other government officials are attending the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for serious business.

The federal government said this in defence of the number of Nigerian delegates at the COP28 summit in Dubai.

The government had been criticised by many Nigerians after a list published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) showed that Nigeria, out of 81,027 delegates registered to attend the summit in person, has 1,411 participants at the conference, the third-highest number, alongside China.

The list also showed that Nigeria has the highest number of registered delegates from Africa.

Speaking on the development, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Monday, December 4, 2023, said President Tinubu and other government officials are in Dubai for serious business and not a jamboree.

Tinubu had, on November 29, departed Abuja for Dubai for the summit expected to end on December 12.

The minister noted that Nigeria’s representation at the summit was in line with the country’s status as “Africa’s leading Sovereign voice and player in climate action”.

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Idris said: “As the biggest economy and most populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change, Nigeria has a significant stake in climate action, and our active and robust participation at COP is therefore not unwarranted.

“COP-28 presents an array of investment and partnership opportunities for the various sectors affected by climate change, and Nigeria is already benefiting from its ongoing participation.

“Since assuming office, President Tinubu has been a vocal champion for the African continent on the global stage, whether at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the G20, or the ongoing COP-28. The President has been supported by an equally active and engaged Nigerian delegation at these various fora.

“It is, therefore, essential to keep setting the records straight while assuring Nigerians that President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business, not a jamboree.”

Idris, therefore, noted that only 422 persons were sponsored by the federal government for the conference.

The Star