The global movement for climate-competent boardrooms gained significant momentum this week with the official launch of Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria.
At a virtual launch event on the afternoon of Monday 23 June, the group became the 34th Chapter in the Climate Governance Initiative’s global network, a concept initially convened by the World Economic Forum to empower board directors to lead on climate action.
“Today marks a pivotal step for climate governance in Nigerian boardrooms,” said the Chapter’s founder Peju Adebajo, “anchoring the Climate Governance Initiative’s global mission to enable climate action on boards, in the Nigerian context. Together with more than 250 senior leaders from the private and public sectors, we have solidified a collective commitment – to embed climate competence at the highest levels of corporate strategy”.
The launch marks a pivotal step in equipping Nigerian board directors and their companies with specific knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to address climate-related business challenges and opportunities. Beyond this, Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria’s founding mission includes commitments to help companies navigate complex disclosure standards; align with the nation’s Climate Change Act; and future-proof business models in an increasingly climate-conscious world.
The Lagos-hosted event – which represented the international network’s first official presence in West Africa – saw participation from a distinguished line-up of speakers, including: Dr Myma Belo-Osagie (Chair of the Chapter’s Advisory Board), Dr Karl Toriola (MTN Nigeria), Julie Baddeley (Chapter Zero Alliance), Dahlia Khalifa (International Finance Corporation), Hamza Al-Assad (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Dr Gregory Jobome (Access Bank), Professor Yinka David-West (Lagos Business School), and Dr Rabiu Olowo (Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria).
“I’d like to extend huge congratulations to the tireless Peju Adebajo and Olawunmi Asekun (the Chapter’s Executive Director) for getting to this exciting moment. The launch of our 34th Chapter will bring energy and insight to climate discussions in Nigerian company boardrooms.”
Julie Baddeley, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the global Chapter network
“The importance and potential impact of Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria cannot be overstated. As one of the four largest economies in Africa, the sixth most populous country in the world, and having an economy heavily reliant upon the oil and gas sector, Nigeria has a critical role in seizing all the opportunities available to transition to a safe and future-proofed economy.”
Emily Farnworth, Executive Director of the Climate Governance Initiative
For more information or to become a member of Climate Governance Initiative Nigeria, visit climategovernanceinitiativenigeria.org, and follow the Chapter on LinkedIn.
Further information
About the Climate Governance Initiative
The Climate Governance Initiative is a non-profit dedicated to mobilising boards to accelerate the transition to net zero and build climate resilience. We develop and support a global network that empowers and mobilises board directors on every continent to take climate action by enhancing their knowledge and skills in climate governance. We are a rapidly growing global network with Chapters in over 70 countries worldwide, reaching more than 100,000 chairs, non-executive and independent directors.
Get in touch
Daniel Aspel | Senior Communications Manager | Climate Governance Initiative
communications@climate-governance.org
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