The Cross River State Government has commenced work on its first Climate Transition Plan, an initiative designed to attract green investment, secure climate financing and generate employment through the sustainable management of natural resources.

The development followed a two-day workshop in Calabar, where government officials, development partners and other stakeholders met to establish a framework for incorporating climate action into the state’s economic development plans.

Governor Bassey Otu, who chairs the State Council on Climate Change, said the initiative would strengthen environmental protection, improve livelihoods and position Cross River to benefit from emerging opportunities in the green economy.

Represented by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, the governor described climate change as an economic challenge requiring coordinated action across government and other sectors.

He said the initiative aligned with his administration’s People First agenda and would ensure climate priorities were integrated into the state’s development plans.

According to Otu, the planning process would begin with four baseline assessments covering greenhouse gas emissions, climate risks and vulnerabilities, climate finance opportunities, and mitigation strategies.

The assessments comprise the Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, Climate Finance Landscape Assessment, and State Mitigation Strategy Assessment.

He explained that the findings would provide the evidence needed to identify environmental threats, establish priority interventions and develop projects capable of attracting funding.

Potential investment opportunities include renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, waste management and nature-based solutions.

Otu noted that Cross River, which hosts more than half of Nigeria’s remaining rainforests, has a significant role to play in conservation and the transition to a green economy.

He called on ministries, departments and agencies, local government councils and development partners to support the initiative, stressing that climate priorities must be incorporated into budgets and development programmes.

The governor also acknowledged the contributions of Future Funds, the Under2 Coalition and the Climate Group, which provided a seed grant for the initiative. He further recognised support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme.

Also speaking at the workshop, the State Special Envoy on Climate Missions, Oden Ewa, said the plan would build on existing climate change and green economy legislation in Cross River.

Ewa, a former commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, said the immediate priority was to translate the state’s legal and institutional frameworks into tangible economic and environmental benefits.

“The Climate Transition Plan must be more than a policy document; it must become an instrument of development, investment, and prosperity,” he said.

He identified reliable data, bankable projects and accountable institutions as critical to attracting international climate finance and responsible investment in carbon markets.

Ewa added that the workshop had advanced the initial drafts of the State Climate Change Policy and Action Plan and the Green Economy Policy and Action Plan.

The proposed documents are expected to establish a coordinated framework for integrating climate action into agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, energy, tourism and employment.

He urged the 18 local government councils and relevant government agencies to take ownership of the process, while encouraging development partners and financial institutions to maintain their support beyond the planning phase.

According to the envoy, the plan should also help farmers adapt to unpredictable rainfall, promote sustainable forest-based businesses and expand ecotourism.

Ewa called for collaboration among stakeholders to position Cross River as a model for climate resilience and green economic growth in Nigeria and across Africa.

Source: Punch Newspapers