President Bola Tinubu has not attended the Antalya Leaders’ Summit at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Türkiye, extending his absence from the high-level climate gathering to three consecutive years.
The two-day summit, which began on Wednesday, November 11, and ended on Thursday, November 12, brought together presidents, prime ministers and other world leaders to discuss climate action and the next steps in international climate negotiations.
Nigeria was also absent from the list of countries scheduled to deliver national statements during the first part of the high-level segment on November 11 and 12, according to the programme published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Tinubu last attended the leaders’ summit at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2023, where he participated in the World Leaders’ Summit.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024, Nigeria’s national statement was delivered by the then Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal.
A year later, Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where he led Nigeria’s delegation and participated in engagements on climate action, forests, energy transition and climate financing.
Nigeria’s absence from the opening national statements at COP31 does not, however, rule out a later address.
The UNFCCC has scheduled a resumed high-level segment for November 17 and 18, allowing countries whose heads of state or government did not deliver statements during the first phase to make their presentations.
Meanwhile, provisional registration figures published by the UNFCCC show that Nigeria has 1,506 participants registered for COP31, giving it the third-largest national delegation at the conference.
Host country Türkiye has the highest number with 2,950 registered participants, followed by Brazil with 1,994. Nigeria is ahead of China, which has 1,021, and Indonesia with 978.
The Nigerian registration comprises 573 participants under the Party badge category and 933 under Party Overflow.
However, the figures are provisional and do not mean that all 1,506 participants are government officials or climate negotiators.
The summit’s high-level discussions include clean energy transition, investment in green industries, access to climate finance and urban resilience.
The conference is scheduled to continue until November 20, with negotiations also expected to address climate adaptation and support for countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
