Julius Berger backs Renewed Hope climate tour as Tinubu urges low-carbon transition

Leading engineering firm Julius Berger Nigeria PLC has thrown its weight behind the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour, a nationwide initiative designed to deepen climate resilience and promote sustainable development across the country.

The tour was inaugurated on Tuesday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu calling for coordinated action to accelerate Nigeria’s shift to a resilient, low-carbon economy.

Represented by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the President urged governors, private sector leaders and other stakeholders to translate climate awareness into practical results.

“Today we inaugurate a movement, the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour. It is a national call to action, a call to innovation, opportunity and sustainable development for all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.

He stressed that climate change presents not only risks but also opportunities for innovation, economic growth and national development, noting that as global capital shifts and markets evolve toward low-carbon development, Nigeria must position itself as a leader.

According to the President, the tour will take climate advocacy beyond conference halls into communities, engaging governors, traditional rulers, students, entrepreneurs, farmers and financial institutions. He added that the initiative aims to identify bankable projects, unlock local solutions, strengthen climate finance capacity and mobilise public-private partnerships.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) must move beyond commitments on paper to actionable, investment-backed programmes capable of reducing emissions, enhancing resilience and protecting vulnerable communities.

He also challenged young Nigerians to take ownership of the climate transition through innovation and entrepreneurship, describing climate resilience as a matter of national security.

L-R: Team Julius Berger: Director, Administration, Alh. Dr. Abdulaziz Kaita, Chief Risk Officer, Mrs. Shakira Mustapha and Head, Strategic Business Development, Achim Becker at the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, inside the State House Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday

Also speaking, the Director of Forestry at the Ministry of Environment, Halima Bawa, highlighted the visible impacts of climate change in Nigeria, including desert encroachment, flooding, coastal erosion and erratic rainfall affecting agriculture.

Lawal commended the Climate Change Act 2021 for providing a legal framework for coordinated governance, carbon budgeting and a pathway to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

The Special Assistant to the President on Climate Change Matters, Yussuf Kelani, described the tour as a national movement anchored on leadership and collaboration. As Chairman of the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour Committee, he said the initiative would democratise climate knowledge, align federal and state actions with Nigeria’s NDCs and mobilise green jobs and climate finance.

Guest speaker, Babajide Alo, underscored the need for locally driven adaptation strategies, community empowerment and capacity-building to manage climate risks effectively. He called for responsible consumption, reduced carbon footprints and the integration of sustainable development principles across all sectors.

For Julius Berger, the company’s Chief Risk Officer, Mrs Shakira Mustapha, reaffirmed the organisation’s support for the national climate agenda, noting that achieving net-zero emissions remains a shared objective for stakeholders committed to Nigeria’s sustainable future.