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VP Shettima in Addis Ababa, Urges Collective Action Against Climate Change

Samuel AkpanJune 27, 2025570

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for decisive global action on climate change, describing it as a danger that demands practical solutions.

At the launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) in Addis Ababa on Friday, Shettima emphasized that climate change is a threat requiring collective, country-specific responses, not just discussion in conference rooms.

According to a statement by Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Shettima reiterated that Nigeria and Ethiopia, as the two most populous countries in Africa, have the largest stake in the continent’s future and must work together to combat climate change.

“Ethiopia and Nigeria are the two most populous countries in Africa. This distinction is not just statistical; it is existential,” Shettima said.

The Ethiopian Green Legacy Programme aims to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change by planting 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.

Shettima lauded the initiative, saying, “Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is one such response. It is an inspiring blueprint to reimagine the future.”

He assured Ethiopia of Nigeria’s unflinching support, adding that both countries are prepared to play their part in keeping Africa green.

Shettima pointed out the need for nations to enhance their climate plans by doubling adaptation and mitigation efforts.

“We have long accepted that climate change is not a problem to be solved in a conference room; it is a danger we must arrest with practical actions.”

He thanked the government and people of Ethiopia for their warmth and generosity, saying, “We felt at home, not just because of the hospitality shown to us, but because the launch of the Green Legacy Programme resonates with the aspirations to leave behind a planet fit for the dreams of generations to come”.

Also speaking, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on African countries to make the green legacy a culture, emphasizing the importance of indigenous and home-grown domestic ideas and visions in addressing climate change.The Prime Minister expressed optimism that Ethiopia’s hosting of the forthcoming United Nations summit on Climate Change will provide an opportunity for African countries to come together and achieve one of Ethiopia’s biggest green revolution plans.