Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South District, has defended the size of Nigeria’s delegation at the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain expressed that the 422 persons funded out of the total 1,411 registered Nigerian delegates weren’t sufficient.
He argued that funding over 400 people to such a conference is essential, suggesting Nigeria might host the climate summit in the future.
During a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Ibrahim highlighted the influence of the number of delegates on knowledge sharing at the event. He emphasized Nigeria’s struggle with the impact of environmental pollution, making a case for a more significant representation.
Ibrahim stated that President Bola Tinubu signed many multimillion-dollar bilateral deals at the summit in Nigeria’s interest. According to the senator, a lean delegation in Dubai would undermine Tinubu’s credibility in the eyes of the international community.
The controversy surrounding the number of Nigerian delegates at the summit, compared to China, has sparked criticism on social media.
Many Nigerians view the government’s actions as insensitive, particularly in light of economic hardships resulting from the removal of the petrol subsidy in mid-2023.
Opposition political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), have called on the APC government to disclose the number of government-sponsored delegates to the Dubai summit.
On Monday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, clarified that the government officially funded 422 persons to the summit.
He argued that the rest of the delegates were from the private sector and non-governmental organizations, providing some transparency regarding the delegation composition.
