…say Nigeria’s $500bn energy transition plan offers investment opportunities in clean energy, agriculture, resilient infrastructure
By Gloria Ikibah 
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has called for coordinated legislative action across the world to tackle climate-related disasters, strengthen resilience and attract investment into sustainable development.
Kalu made the call on Thursday during a debate on “Urgent Parliamentary Action to Address Climate-related Disasters and Strengthen Resilience” at the ongoing 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Arusha, Tanzania.
He urged lawmakers to move beyond declarations and pledges to practical legislative measures capable of delivering tangible benefits for vulnerable communities and national economies.
The Deputy Speaker proposed a structured global legislative intervention built around two pillars: an investor-ready pipeline of priority projects covering clean energy, transport, agriculture, resilient infrastructure and the circular economy; and a project-preparation and transaction-support platform to move viable projects from conception to financing and implementation.
He said the approach would help bridge the gap between climate commitments and the funding needed to translate them into practical results.
“Across the globe farmers are confronting irregular rainfall and declining yields; coastal communities are facing erosion and rising waters; businesses are losing productive hours to unreliable energy; and cities are struggling with flooding that overwhelms drainage systems and infrastructure.
“Our people are already living with the consequences of extreme weather, flooding, land degradation, food insecurity and climate-related displacement. Climate finance must therefore support both emissions reduction and human resilience.
“As legislators we should understand that legislation must not remain a statement of intent. It must become an instrument of delivery.
“Lawmakers are not just observers of the climate crisis, but as architects of the legal certainty and public accountability required for a resilient, competitive and sustainable economy,” Kalu said.
Kalu said the proposed intervention should begin with the development of an investor-ready pipeline of priority projects and the establishment of a platform to support project preparation, financing and implementation.
“Today, I propose that this debate should not end as another important conversation. It should become the beginning of a structured legislative intervention across the globe. First, it should support the development of an investor-ready pipeline of priority projects across clean energy, transport, agriculture, resilient infrastructure and the circular economy.
“Second, it should establish a project-preparation and transaction-support platform that helps move viable projects from concept to bankability, financing and implementation.
“This is how ambition becomes action. This is how policy becomes finance. And this is how finance becomes infrastructure, jobs, resilience and shared prosperity.
“Distinguished colleagues, we can combine sound legislation, credible institutions, subnational innovation and international capital to transform the goals of the Paris Agreement into practical progress for the people of Nigeria and other developing countries”, he added.
The Deputy Speaker said climate change was not merely an environmental concern for Nigeria but a challenge affecting livelihoods, energy access, employment, infrastructure and the country’s industrial ambitions.
“For Nigeria, climate action is not an abstract environmental aspiration, but about whether a farmer can harvest despite changing rainfall patterns; whether a family can access affordable and reliable electricity; whether a young person can find dignified work in a modern economy; whether our cities can withstand floods; and whether Africa’s largest economy can industrialise without reproducing the environmental vulnerabilities of the past,” he said.
Kalu criticised delays in translating international climate commitments into meaningful action, noting that developing countries continued to face difficulties securing adequate, accessible and affordable climate finance.
He said Nigeria was attending the Assembly not merely to restate its financial needs but to present opportunities for investors to partner with the country on commercially viable, climate-resilient projects backed by legislation, public policy and accountable institutions.
Nigeria’s $500bn energy transition opportunity
The Deputy Speaker recalled that Nigeria announced its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) through the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan.
He described the plan as a development-focused pathway designed not only to reduce emissions but also to expand energy access, reduce poverty, create jobs and strengthen economic resilience.
According to him, Nigeria’s updated Energy Transition Plan estimates that approximately $500bn in capital investment above business-as-usual spending will be required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
“This is not simply a financing gap; it is an investment horizon. It is an opportunity to build new markets, modernise infrastructure, create green jobs, unlock innovation and deliver long-term returns,” he said.
Kalu identified distributed renewable energy, solar mini-grids, battery storage, clean cooking solutions and electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure as priority investment areas.
Others include industrial energy efficiency, climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, cold-chain logistics, food processing, electric mobility, mass transit, low-carbon urban transport, waste-to-value systems, methane reduction and green manufacturing.
He also called for investments in climate adaptation, including flood-control systems, resilient drainage, coastal protection, nature-based solutions, climate-resilient housing and infrastructure.
Kalu emphasised that climate finance must address both emissions reduction and adaptation, particularly as developing countries continue to experience extreme weather, flooding, land degradation, food insecurity and displacement.
Kalu outlines legislative commitments
The Deputy Speaker said Nigerian lawmakers had a responsibility to strengthen the legal and institutional framework needed to support the country’s green transition.
He listed priority actions to include strengthening the implementation of the Climate Change Act, monitoring climate-related public expenditure and supporting credible carbon-market and green-finance frameworks.
He also called for reforms to improve investor protection and contract enforcement, transparent approval processes for green projects, and support for the expansion of state-level electricity markets.
Kalu urged sustained engagement among government, investors and communities to ensure that climate policies reflected local needs and attracted the investment required for implementation.
He said Nigeria’s transition to a greener economy must be inclusive, with particular attention to affordable energy, employment, skills development and opportunities for women and young people.
“Our message is simple: Nigeria’s green transition must be a just-transition. It must expand access to affordable energy, create decent work, support communities, equip young people with new skills, promote women’s participation in the green economy and ensure that no region or social group is left behind,” Kalu stated.
He maintained that effective legislation, credible institutions and international investment could help turn climate commitments into practical outcomes for Nigeria and other developing countries.
