Nigeria's National Council on Climate Change is drafting Host Country Approval Criteria for carbon market operations. NCCC Director General Omotenioye Majekodunmi told a stakeholder workshop in Abuja that the rules must protect national interests while giving credible investors clear certainty. The goal is to ensure carbon projects finance clean energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and methane reduction, not just generate offsets on paper. The criteria are meant to clarify how projects are screened, approved, measured, reported, and verified, and how they align with Nigeria's Nationally Determined Contribution. University of Nigeria Vice Chancellor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya backed the move, saying effective policy needs credible research and clear implementation. The next test is whether the criteria turn into enforceable standards that actually shape project outcomes on the ground.
