At the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI), Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, called for urgent, practical action to combat climate change, emphasizing that Africa’s future depends on unified environmental efforts. The event marked a significant step in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Africa’s two most populous nations to address ecological challenges.
Shettima praised Ethiopia’s ambitious GLI, which aims to plant 20 billion trees over four years, establish 20,000 nurseries, and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs. “Ethiopia’s initiative is an inspiring blueprint to reimagine the future,” he said. “It shows that the future is something we must plant, nurture, and build.” The Vice President highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to replicating this model, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for sustainable development.
Noting Nigeria and Ethiopia’s combined population of over 350 million, Shettima stressed their outsized role in securing Africa’s environmental resilience. “We face the highest cost of inaction,” he declared. “This is why we are not spectators but active partners in keeping Africa green.” The Vice President reaffirmed Nigeria’s pledge at recent global climate summits, including COP28 in Azerbaijan, to translate promises into tangible projects.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged African nations to embrace homegrown solutions like the GLI, moving beyond reliance on foreign aid. “We shocked the world with our tree-planting vision without external support,” he said, commending Nigeria’s endorsement of the initiative. Prime Minister Abiy expressed optimism that Ethiopia’s upcoming hosting of a UN climate summit would galvanize pan-African collaboration.
Earlier in the day, Shettima toured Ethiopia’s Unity Park, Science Museum, and Adwa Victory Memorial Museum which were symbols of the nation’s rich heritage and transformative progress. The visit underscored the deepening ties between both countries beyond environmental policy.
The GLI launch solidified Nigeria and Ethiopia’s partnership as a catalyst for continental climate action. With Nigeria set to embark on its own large-scale tree-planting campaign, the two nations are positioning themselves as leaders in Africa’s green revolution.
