Sanwo-Olu highlights Lagos' climate challenges, Africa's 'shortchanged' status at London forum

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has highlighted the significant challenges posed by climate change in his city during a roundtable discussion in London. Speaking at the Climate Change Action Week, Sanwo-Olu engaged with other global leaders on managing climate impacts, transitioning from fossil fuel dependence to resilience, and scaling up investment from commitment to prospect.

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I’d also like to thank the two members of the coalition. It’s exciting. We’re hoping that we can advance a lot of peer sharing and a lot of benefits to the government and to the people.

Sanwo-Olu pointed out that Africa is being shortchanged in global climate finance. He noted that the continent holds 60% of the world's solar capabilities and 30% of essential minerals, with 70% of its population under 30. Despite these resources, Africa receives only 2% of global climate finance. He argued that for any climate transition to be truly global and successful, Africa must be included, and Lagos, as Africa's largest city, should be a focal point for investment.

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But we have a background, right? I mean, I’m from a country where I run a state that’s close to 25 million people. Up until very recently, everything regarding power, from generation to distribution to the whole spectrum, was nationally controlled.

The governor also touched upon Nigeria's recent power sector reforms, explaining that states can now participate in power generation and distribution. This shift is crucial for changing the narrative around energy in the country, with states now managing a significant portion of generated power and showing interest in renewables. Sanwo-Olu emphasized that investment should target underserved areas to achieve scale and relevance in the global climate conversation.

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So, now, we’re actually changing the narrative. Almost 40 to 50 per cent of what is generated in the country also gets passed through states, so it’s huge. There’s a whole lot of interest that we’re pushing on, especially in renewables.