Climate change: Abia tops Nigerian sustainability financing programme

…Moves to access climate finance, attract green investments to state

Abia State has emerged top at the Nigerian Sustainability Financing Programme, bringing the state closer to accessing climate finance and attracting green investments to the state.

Ifeanyi Ugwuoke, national team leader of the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), disclosed this during a meeting with Governor Alex Otti in his office.

Ugwuoke said that PACE in 2025, conducted 8-months Climate Finance Readiness Assessment for the State, to evaluate existing systems and institutional structures.

He noted that the assessment identified external bottlenecks and produced a reform action plan that has already been agreed upon, by the State Government and the organisation.

He added that the team also provided technical input into the review and the finalisation of the Abia Development Plan prior to its launch.

He also said that the Abia Climate Change Policy is about 99percent complete and undergoing final review before submission for adoption, by the state government.

Ugwuoke said that as part of private sector engagement, four companies from Abia participated alongside firms from Kano, Kaduna and other States, describing the Abia delegation as outstanding during the session, noting that PACE facilitated connections between Abia-based businesses and potential investors, through the Nigeria Sustainable Finance platform.

The leader of the PACE delegation further informed the governor that the state’s validated investment pipeline included projects in energy, transport and sustainable infrastructure, covering gas and solar energy initiatives, the revamping and modernisation of Abia Line Transport Services, clean energy transportation projects, solar micro-grids, waste-to-wealth ventures and a low-carbon geopolymer cement project valued between $40 million and $60 million among others.

He urged Abia State Government to consider establishing a Climate Resilient Fund within the next 60 to 90 days to strengthen investor confidence and support technical advisory services, and promised to provide advisory to the State government.

Governor Alex Otti in his response, commended PACE for its intervention in Abia and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to sustainable development.

While acknowledging the global concerns surrounding climate change, the governor said that developing regions that contributed minimally to global emissions should not bear disproportionate responsibility.

Governor Otti informed the delegation that Abia had taken proactive steps, including the introduction of electric buses under its transport reform programme.

The governor informed the team that the electric buses operated free of charge from December 2025 before fares were introduced this March 2026, adding that the battery-powered buses have proven to be cheaper and easier to maintain than internal combustion engine vehicles.

He also said that the state government had invested heavily on solar-powered street lights and also currently exploring alternative energy solutions to strengthen power supply in the state.

Governor Otti, who said that his administration remained committed to supporting local businesses and positioning Abia as a destination for climate finance and green growth, assured the team of the government’s readiness to collaborate with it.

Sunny Alison, chairman of Vostok Meridian Limited, one of the beneficiaries of the PACE – facilitated support initiative, while commending Governor Otti for providing enabling environment in Abia State, thanked the organisation for its support.

Alison in particular, disclosed plans to invest in transportation and logistics, including support for the emerging airport project, cargo operations and integrated multimodal transport systems covering road, rail, air and sea.

Alison added that the company would introduce modern and environmentally-friendly transport solutions to complement the state’s development vision.

Hemenandu Nwachukwu, founder, Hemeko Geopolymer Cement Industrial Platform, another beneficiary of the programme, said that through the state-backed readiness assessment, facilitated by PACE, his firm was exposed to funding windows under global and domestic climate finance frameworks.

He said that his company was among a few selected to attend the Nigerian Sustainable Finance Initiative Summit, held recently in Lagos, where participants were sensitised on available climate funds and investment opportunities.

He added that the technology developed had been validated by Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, with support from the Abia State Government.