Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has expressed the State’s readiness to collaborate with international partners on Climate change and sustainable development initiatives.
Governor Otti stated this on Tuesday during a meeting with the National Team Lead of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office–Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Change (FCDO-PAGE), Mr. Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke, at his country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The Governor emphasized that his government is built on a strong value system rooted in strategic planning, diligent execution, and measurable outcomes.
He noted that many well-conceived strategies, including policy documents dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, had been abandoned due to poor follow-through.
“The thing about the country is that everywhere you go, you see a lot of good ideas. Our people are very smart. What you find lacking, most times, is rigorous implementation”, he said.
Governor Otti said his administration has invested considerable time and resources in understanding the critical issues surrounding climate change.
The Governor observed that unchecked industrial and economic activities, particularly in the private sector, significantly contribute to environmental degradation.
He raised questions about climate justice, querying the extent of Nigeria’s role in global warming and who should bear the cost of addressing its impact.
Governor Otti also commented on international calls for African nations to transition away from fossil fuels, referencing the 2026 Glasgow summit where major global banks pledged to end financing for oil and gas projects by 2030.
He warned that although well-intentioned, such decisions must not be adopted blindly by African governments and called for careful planning in the continent’s transition to renewable energy.
Governor Otti acknowledged that while renewables represent the future, efficiency and sustainability must be guaranteed through the right structures.
He reiterated his administration’s preference for working from questions to answers rather than making ambitious declarations without clear roadmaps.
Earlier, the National Team Lead of FCDO-PAGE, Mr. Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke, expressed the organisation’s readiness to partner with the Abia State Government on climate change initiatives.
Mr Ugwuoke commended Abia State’s performance over the past 24 months, as well as its commitment to transparent governance and climate action.
He described FCDO-PAGE as a United Kingdom Government initiative operating at the intersection of governance reform and climate change response, and part of a bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the UK spanning over two decades.
Mr Ugwuoke identified potential areas of collaboration, including climate finance readiness, green budgeting, and policy alignment, adding that FCDO-PAGE has begun developing tools to assess state-level eligibility for global climate finance opportunities.
He emphasized the importance of aligning governance and budgeting structures to achieve long-term sustainability goals and pledged the team’s support in connecting Abia to global climate governance networks.
Mr Ugwuoke commended Governor Otti’s visionary leadership and alignment with international best practices.
