The Presidency has debunked some social media claims that the Federal Government sponsored all Nigeria’s representatives to the ongoing 28th Convention of Parties on Climate Summit (CoP28) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
A statement yesterday in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, the Presidency explained that President Bola Tinubu and other senior officials of his administration were attending the global event for serious business and not for mere jamboree.
The Presidency was reacting to various concerns raised by diverse interests, especially in the social media space, over the large number of the Nigerian contingent to the event, which also attracted over 97,000 participants from more than 100 countries from across the world.
Information on the registration platforms of the organisers of the CoP28 showed that 1,411 Nigerians were registered to participate at the event.
There have been speculations that the Federal Government sponsored all the participants with public funds.
But in his piece, titled: Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction, Ajayi explained that “the people coming together to advance their different agenda and interests from governments, businesses and civil societies are the parties to the convention who represent various shades of opinions and pushing for various mitigating actions”.
He added: “…It is important to state here that delegates from all countries, whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups, attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin.
“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone that registered is physically present.”