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NGX Regulation Counsels Public, Private Sector on Climate Change

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NGX Rallies Corporates On Sustainability Reporting

 

By Edozie Obasi-Eze

Given Nigeria’s ambitious climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 47% by 2030, conditional on international support, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Regulation Limited, Ms. Tinuade Awe, has urged all critical stakeholders to prioritize implementing initiatives that positively benefit the environment and combat climate change.

Awe stated this during the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) Stakeholder Engagement Session on Mainstreaming Nigeria’s Collaborative Action on Climate-Related Risks and Disclosures on Thursday, 26 May 2022.

Speaking at the event organized by FRCN in collaboration with Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF), Afrikairos Foundation, and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation, Awe highlighted the increasing global trend in climate-related disclosure and regulations and encouraged companies to incorporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into their business operations, activities and reporting processes as a critical step to ensuring that they are positioned to align with the rapidly evolving regulations and guidance on sustainability and climate disclosure.

She explained that “In Nigeria, the Federal Government has localized the global call by committing to achieving a net-zero economy by 2060 and signing the Climate Change Act 2021 into law. This policy is consistent with Nigeria’s vision to be a low-carbon, climate-resilient, high growth circular economy that reduces its current level of emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, as captured in the 2050 Long-Term vision for the Nigerian economy which was issued by the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment in 2021.”

On the role that NGX Regulation has played to promote sustainability reporting, Awe said, “At NGX Regulation, we are committed to fostering the adoption of sustainable business practices and disclosure amongst companies listed on Nigerian Exchange Limited.

This is evidenced by our leading role in the development and issuance of the NGX Sustainability Disclosure Guidelines in 2019 which has provided support for companies seeking guidance on sustainability reporting practices.

NGX Regulation also played a leading role in developing guidance for the capital market on the issuance of green bonds in 2016, and championed efforts along with government and industry stakeholders that culminated in the issuance of the maiden N10.69 billion (c. $25.8 million) 13.48 percent 5-year green bond in 2017”.

Speaking on her organization’s plans to promote climate disclosure, She noted that NGX Regulation is well-positioned to lead the capital market to address climate change through effective climate disclosure, saying “we launched the Climate Awareness Initiative in collaboration with Nigerian Exchange Limited in April 2022 and hosted a two-part market-wide training on climate disclosure facilitated by experts from International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative and Carbon Disclosure Programme (CDP).

“Our unwavering commitment to address climate change has also inspired us to commence the development of the NGX Climate Disclosure Guidelines, a dedicated set of guidelines for listed companies on global best practice in climate disclosure in line with the recommendations of the Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) framework leveraging the Action Plan on how stock exchanges can integrate the TCFD recommendations issued by the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSEI) in 2021. We plan to publish our zero drafts in a few months after which we will initiate a public consultation for feedback”.

NEWS

Moghalu Prescribes Good Governance As Panacea To Ethnic Agitation

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The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.

In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’

ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations

The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.

He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.

Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.

“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.

“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from

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NEWS

N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.

In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.

READ ALSO: CSR: Dangote Cement Fuels Education With Support Projects At Lagos Schools

He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.

“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.

He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.

“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.

Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.

“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said

He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.

“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”

Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.

He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.

“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.

“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.

He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.

 

 

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International News

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.

In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”

READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt  Chairman By Police

The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.

Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.

The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.

With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.

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