Tuggar says Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will drive climate funding, trade ties

By Kunle Sanni –

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has said the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week provides a crucial opportunity to turn global climate commitments into concrete projects and funding, following the recent UN climate conference held in Brazil.

Speaking to journalists, Tuggar said the forum helps move climate discussions beyond rhetoric by translating agreements reached at COP meetings into actionable investments.

“The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week happens between COP meetings, and this is where agreements are concretised,” he said. “Otherwise, climate talks risk becoming a talk shop. This platform allows countries to extract tangible projects, commitments and funding.”

He noted that Nigeria faces challenges in project preparation, which has limited access to international financing in the past.

According to him, the event offers an opportunity for the country to present clearly defined and bankable projects to governments, development partners and global institutions in attendance. Tuggar added that Nigeria’s participation in the previous edition of the forum helped to initiate partnerships that are now being strengthened.

The minister also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which both leaders are expected to sign a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Tuggar said the agreement would protect investors on both sides and deepen economic ties between Nigeria and the UAE.

He explained that while UAE investors have been seeking stronger guarantees for their investments in Nigeria, the agreement would also safeguard Nigerian businesses operating in Dubai and other parts of the UAE.