BY JENNIFER EZIMAKOR
Nigeria has urged stronger cooperation among developing nations and renewed global commitment to equitable climate finance, as the country joined other member states at the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Coordinating Bureau in Kampala, Uganda.
In a statement issued by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed PhD, spoke at the meeting, calling for “deeper solidarity” among member states to confront what he described as “multiple, interlinked crises” affecting the developing world. This includes: climate disasters, conflicts, terrorism, and widening inequalities.
“These times call for deeper solidarity among our member states and a renewed commitment to sustainable development as a central strategy for peace, security, and prosperity,” he said.
Ahmed commended President Yoweri Museveni and the people of Uganda for their hospitality, and praised Foreign Affairs Minister Odongo Jeje Abubakhar for his leadership and keynote address.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Deepening cooperation for shared global affluence,’ the Permanent Secretary said the discussions underscored the enduring relevance of NAM’s founding principles and its shared responsibility to advance “global justice, equity, and peace.”
On climate action, Ahmed said developing countries were showing commitment despite limited resources but needed “affordable and predictable access to climate finance and clean technology” to meet global goals.
He called on developed nations to honour their $100 billion annual pledge for climate finance and scale up funding to at least $1 trillion annually to support the Global South’s transition.
“In Nigeria, we are working to mobilise private sector finance through the increased deployment of green guarantees. We have established the National Credit Guarantee Company to de-risk investments and are aligning key ministries; Solid Minerals, Finance, Power, and Environment to implement a coherent national approach,” the Ambassador noted.
He said scaling up such instruments was crucial for unlocking private capital, adding that green guarantees can “mobilise five to six times more finance than conventional tools.”
Nigeria also reaffirmed its support for the Green Guarantee Group (GGG) and urged multilateral development banks, governments, and private investors to back similar efforts that would lower the cost of capital for a just and inclusive transition.
Reiterating Nigeria’s long-standing position on global peace, Ambassador Ahmed said the Palestinian question remains “at the heart of NAM,” condemning the continued occupation and violations of international law.
“NAM must continue to champion the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for statehood and self-determination,” he said, reaffirming Nigeria’s support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
On global governance, he stressed the need to reform multilateral institutions to reflect present-day realities, warning that failure to do so would further erode legitimacy and trust.
“The current architecture does not adequately reflect the realities or representation of today’s world. Without meaningful reform, global governance risks further erosion of legitimacy, effectiveness, and trust.” he said.
Concluding his remarks, the Permanent Secretary reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to NAM’s founding principles, pledging to work with other member states to “deepen cooperation, strengthen solidarity, and build a future of shared global affluence anchored on justice, equity, and mutual respect.”