By Ebenezer Mabinuola
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on African nations and the global community to shift from rhetoric to decisive climate action, stressing that solutions must be tailored to local realities.
Speaking in Addis Ababa on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI), Shettima praised the ambitious programme as a model of environmental leadership.
The GLI, spearheaded by Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings in four years. It also aims to establish 20,000 nurseries and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, addressing deforestation and enhancing climate resilience across the Horn of Africa.
“This is not a problem we can solve in a conference room,” Shettima told fellow African leaders. “Ethiopia’s Green Legacy is proof of what bold, local action can accomplish.”
He affirmed Nigeria’s support for the initiative, emphasizing shared responsibility between Africa’s two most populous nations. “Ethiopia and Nigeria bear the largest stake in Africa’s future—and the greatest risk if climate inaction continues,” Shettima said.
The Vice President reaffirmed Nigeria’s climate commitments under President Tinubu, referencing pledges made at global summits, including the last COP in Azerbaijan. He urged African countries to adopt home-grown strategies, drawing from Ethiopia’s self-funded model.
Prime Minister Abiy echoed the call for African ownership of climate solutions and praised Nigeria’s endorsement of the GLI. “To rise by planting is our mission. Nigeria’s partnership gives us hope for a continental green renaissance,” he said.
Shettima also visited cultural sites in Addis Ababa, underscoring strong bilateral ties. “The Green Legacy is more than symbolic – it’s a blueprint for Africa’s environmental future,” he concluded.
