Tinubu under fire over 1,411 Nigerian delegates to COP28 Dubai 

FG not funding all COP28 delegates – Presidency

President Bola Tinubu-led administration is facing a fresh controversy over a total of 1,411 delegates from Nigeria sent to Dubai to attend the ongoing 28th Climate Change in the United Arab Emirates.

The President is being heavily criticised for approving such a large delegation, the biggest among African nations attending the global summit.
They wondered how the country could shell out huge funds for one conference at an auster time that the Federal Government was urging the citizens to tighten belts and make more sacrifices.
The criticism is coming from several quarters including the opposition parties, human right groups and countless number of Nigerians using the social media platforms.
The official delegations of some top countries to COP28 are USA 159; Canada 187; Japan 255; India 725; United Kingdom 75; and European Union 124.
But the Federal Government said it was not paying the bills of the 1,411 delegates as COP-28 records put Nigeria’s official figure at 590 and the other 821 as “overflow” participants.
The Labour Party and its 2023 Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi described the government’s action as wasteful, saying it was sad that the Federal Government which ought to be cutting the cost of governance was being wasteful.
The Peoples Democratic Party also condemned the action as wasteful and urged the National Assembly to probe the incident.

Obi, in a series of tweets on his X handle, said: “In a twist of sad irony, let me congratulate the giant of Africa, Nigeria, for matching the great China, with the same number of contingents at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Nigeria’s contingent to COP28 totaled 1,411, the same number as the Chinese contingents.”

“While China’s budget for 2024 is about $4 trillion, about $2,860 per head; Nigeria’s budget is about $33 billion, about $165 per head. China has a high Human Development Index (HDI), with a ranking of 79 out of 191 countries measured, and Nigeria has a low HDI, with a ranking of 163 out of 191 countries measured. Nigeria has more people living in ‘multi-dimensional’ poverty than China, despite China having seven times our population.”

On its part, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) said, “It’s a big shame that Nigeria is attending the international event around the strategic issues of consequences of climate change with such a massive team, thus increasing the impact of fossil fuel on the environment.”

It’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, was quoted in a report by The Guardian as saying, “Tinubu’s government continues to show that it cannot curb wasteful spending. Of the 1,411 delegates, 590 were sponsored to attend the conference by the Nigerian government, which is currently battling with record inflation, an out-of-control exchange rate, a ballooning debt profile, and millions of its citizens sliding into poverty.

“The total to-and-fro flight ticket for the 590 delegates is thought to be N885 million, as estimated by a reputable expert.

“This is a big shame! This is an unmitigated scam and it deserves to be absolutely condemned. Nigeria’s official delegation shouldn’t be more than 10, since Nigeria runs an embassy in the UAE or nearby.”

FG not funding all COP28 delegates – Presidency

The Presidency has clarified that only a handful of the 1,411 Nigerian delegates, who registered to attend the COP-28 Climate Summit in Dubai are sponsored by the Federal Government.

It said a bulk of the contingents comprised private sector players such as business people, Civil Society Organisations and delegates from Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger-Delta region.

It also argued that the delegates are at the Summit to promote their respective causes and not for a jamboree.

A statement signed by President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, read in part, “It is important to state here that delegates from all countries, whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups, attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin. This does not mean they are sponsored or funded by the government.”

It also stated, “It is important to state here that delegates from all countries whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin.

“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must also be said that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone who registered is physically present.

“As the biggest country in Africa, the biggest economy and one with a bigger stake in climate action as a country with a huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa.”