SPECIAL REPORT: GOV JIBRILLA JOINS PRESIDENT BUHARI TO PARTICIPATE IN 'ONE PLANET SUMMIT' IN PARIS

By Tom Garba

Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Mohammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, will travel with President Muhammadu Buhari to participate alongside over 50 world leaders in the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, slated for Tuesday, October 12, 2017.

The summit, jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French Government in partnership with non-governmental organisations concerned about reversing the negative effects of climate change, like Bloomberg Philanthropies, holds at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris.

The main focus of the summit, with the theme, "Climate Change Financing," according to the organisers, will be to innovatively pool public and private finance "to support and accelerate our common efforts to fight climate change."

While recognising that all countries are affected by the effects of climate change under “One Planet” but some are more vulnerable, the summit seeks for tangible collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Before heading for the Summit venue, the Nigerian leader will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace.

President Buhari and other world leaders and participants will make presentations under four sub-themes namely: Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action; Greening Finance for Sustainable Business; Accelerating Local and Regional Climate Action; and Strengthening Policies for Ecological and Inclusive Transition.

It would be recalled that while signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the sidelines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2016, President Buhari had said it "demonstrated Nigeria's commitment to global efforts to reverse the effects of the negative trend."

He followed that significant step by signing the Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on March 28, 2017 at the State House, Abuja, making Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Treaty. It became binding on the country effective June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017 by Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.

The participation of Nigeria's delegation at the One Planet Summit will reinforce the country's commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

While at the summit, the Governor of Bindow Will seek audience with the Nigerian community to find ways of encouraging them to invest back home, especially in Adamawa State.

He is also expected to field questions from journalists on the efforts by government to create lasting solution to communal clash in some communities of the state.

Also on the entaurage are the governors of Kano and Ondo States, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and that of the ministry of Environment. They will return to Abuja on Thursday.