Several African nations are facing scrutiny and defending their decisions to send substantial delegations to the 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai.
The United Nations’ official attendance list revealed that Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda were among the countries with the most extensive representation.
Ghana, in particular, has drawn attention as it registered an impressive delegation of 618 members, signifying a notable increase from the previous year’s numbers. At COP27 in Egypt, Ghana had a delegation of 350 individuals, including both state and non-state actors, some of whom were sponsored by development partners.
Nigeria surpassed expectations by sending a staggering 1,411 delegates, with Morocco closely behind at 823 and Kenya with 765. Representatives from Nigeria and Kenya have been quick to defend their delegation sizes, emphasizing that not all delegates are publicly funded.
They clarified that the lists include individuals representing the media, civil society organizations, and private institutions, with some participating remotely.
A statement from an adviser to Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, argued, “As the biggest country in Africa, the biggest economy, and one with a bigger stake in climate action as a country with a huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa.”
Kenya’s State House spokesperson, Hussein Mohammed, asserted that the delegate count was exaggerated, representing those who had registered for the event, not necessarily those who physically attended. He clarified that the national government had only cleared 51 essential delegates, with the rest being sponsored by various groups.
The Tanzanian government released a statement, revealing that over 90% of its delegation was sponsored by the private sector. This move aims to alleviate concerns about the cost and scale of government-funded representation.
While these African nations stand by their delegation sizes, critics argue that the large numbers may hinder the effectiveness of the conference, diverting attention from crucial climate discussions.
