By Rotimi Ajayi

The 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) continues today in Durban, South Africa. Nigeria is hopeful of benefiting from the billions of fund that will accrue from whatever legally binding agreement that comes out from here.

No one can tell yet what will be the fate of Kyoto Protocol (KP) as there strong indications that many annex 1 countries are pushing for its death. If its validity of 2012 is not extended at this COP, Africa will become the graveyard of KP. However, the African Group is determined not to allow its death on the continent.

Notwithstanding the fate of KP, whatever agreements reached here will inevitably pool some funds together to combat the impacts of climate change from both adaptation and mitigation ends.

These funds are certainly going to come with a lot of tough conditions to be met before access by the developing and least developed countries that the Funds will be meant for. Under KP Nigeria has not been able to access any Fund that would have been used for Adaptation works.

Although Nigeria has been able to register a number of projects that would have attracted fund under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the KP, none of these projects has been able to generate a single dollar from the Carbon Market. What are the problems?

The first major obstacle that had impaired Nigeria’s chances has been inadequate governmental support for the cause of climate change. The Federal Government has merely mouth-serviced the issues of climate change and its financing. As a result, real engagements of the critical stakeholders and organized private sectors that would have driven the implementation of Climate Change Policies have been lacking.

This is taking its toll already as much of Nigerian prowess and respect at International negotiations concerning issues of Environment is waning rapidly.

While the above scenario persists even with the ongoing COP 17, another major obstacle that Nigeria will confront post-Durban will be brought about by its poor records in fighting corruption. Transparency International (TI), the global coalition against corruption is visibly present here in Durban and it is pushing hard for structuring of the international climate change agreement and its funding architecture in a way that only countries with good anti-corruption policing systems will be able to tap the climate funds.

According to TI, corruption will starve the people who will be directly affected by the impacts of climate change the intended benefits of the agreements unless they structured in a way that will allow for full public participation and transparency.

Its position paper clearly recommends that Governments should “ensure that language on ‘Transparency,’ ‘access to information’ and full ‘public participation’ are expressly provided in the new international instruments where relevant.

“Provide clear and accessible information on climate policy and the mandates of relevant national decision-making bodies as well as clear guidelines and rules of procedure for public participation in these bodies.

“Elaborate international standards, including criteria for monitoring, reporting and verification of mitigation, adaptation and climate finance and the role of civil society in these processes.

“Conduct active outreach to affected communities, as well as open hearings on policies and consultative decision making processes to ensure that citizens’ inputs are included.

“Include details in national communications to the UNFCCC on access to information, provisions for and cases of public participation in national policies and measures.”

TI further seeks a change to current working methods of finance bodies to avail more opportunities to national stakeholders for greater engagements. With the dynamics playing out at COP17, Nigeria will need to refocus its drive against corruption as it cannot afford to lose out on the expected financial outlay that will come after Durban. There is no room for tardiness in the upcoming climate regimes.