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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is expected to join 50 other world leaders tomorrow in the One Planet Summit in Paris, France.

The summit, jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French government, in partnership with non-governmental organisations concerned about reversing the negative effects of climate change, such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, holds at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, explained that the main focus of the summit, with the theme, “Climate Change Financing,” according to the organisers, will be to innovatively pool public and private finance “to support and accelerate our common efforts to fight climate change.”

It further stated that while recognising that all countries were affected by the effects of climate change under “One Planet”, some more vulnerable, the summit seeks for tangible collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Before heading for the Summit venue, President Buhari will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace.

President Buhari and other world leaders and participants will make presentations under four sub-themes, including scaling-up finance for climate action; greening finance for sustainable business; accelerating local and regional Climate action; and strengthening policies for ecological and inclusive transition.

It will be recalled that while signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on the sidelines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2016, President Buhari had said it “demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to global efforts to reverse the effects of the negative trend.”

He followed that significant step by signing the Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on March 28, 2017, at State House, Abuja, making Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Treaty.

It became binding on the country effective June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017 by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.

The participation of Nigeria’s delegation at the One Planet Summit will reinforce the country’s commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The President, who will depart for Paris on today (Monday), accompanied by the governors of Adamawa, Kano and Ondo States, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Environment, will return to Abuja on Thursday.

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