The budget season is here again. Agencies of government are busy defending and lobbying for their budgets in the National Assembly. This is the time to act to ensure that we match our commitments to address climate change with robust financial provisions to enable action on mitigation and adaptation.

In 2011, the Federal Ministry of Environment bemoaned the inadequacy of budgetary provisions to complete action plans and participate in the Conference of Parties that was held in Durban. Last year as in years past, the Ministry went cap in hand to companies and donor agencies to secure travel funds for the Nigerian delegation. This is unacceptable. Now is the time to ensure that this national embarrassment is brought to an end. The National Assembly must set aside adequate budget lines for the Rio+20 and COP18 in Abu Dhabi.

The Federal Ministry of Environment needs more resources to complete outstanding reporting obligations to the UNFCCC. Nigeria has yet to complete a Second National Communication, Technology Needs Assessment and Finance Needs Assessment. Even though we have made progress on REDD+, there is still no comprehensive REDD Readiness Plan with clear action plans to halt deforestation and manage our land resources.

The time has also come to move from planning to implementation. Nigerians demand to see concrete benefits of climate change adaptation and mitigation. We must begin to link action on climate change to prosperity for Nigeria’s poor. Opportunities for action abound. For instance, the UN Secretary General has declared 2012 as the year of Universal Sustainable Energy Access. Today, over 100 million Nigerians literarily live in the dark without access to electricity, and about 30 million households are dependent on traditional use of wood for cooking. Yet, there is no urgency in the Federal Government to address energy deprivation.

The two Houses of the National Assembly must rise to the challenge. Both Hon. Eziuche Ubani and Senator Bukola Saraki, Chairman, House Committee on Climate Change and Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, respectively have shown strong leadership. And with the improved relationship between the parliament and the Ministry of Environment under Mrs Hadiza Mailafia, we hope to see budget lines that show seriousness in tackling climate change.

As the National Assembly works to ensure adequate financial resources to address climate change, it must also accept the moral burden of ensuring that these monies are well spent. Over the years, resources have been allocated for the development of climate change action plans that have never seen the light of day. For instance, UNDP has over the several years appropriated money for Nigeria’s Second National Communication. Neither UNDP nor the National Assembly have shown any interest in seeking accountability for these resources. Other climate change action plans funded by national appropriation have suffered a similar fate. We must match the demand for more financial resources with a stronger commitment to transparency and accountability.