By Oladosu Adebola
At the 2025 UN meetings, Nigeria strategically positioned itself at the forefront of global efforts towards enhanced tax transparency and climate action, notably through a bilateral engagement with Norway. Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, championed these critical agendas in discussions with Ms. Stine Renate Håheim, Norway’s Deputy Minister of International Development. Nigeria’s commitment to tax transparency is driven by the imperative to strengthen domestic resource mobilization and effectively tackle illicit financial flows. This aligns with a broader international push for a more equitable and efficient global tax architecture. Nigeria’s specific focus encompasses bolstering beneficial ownership transparency to prevent tax evasion and money laundering, actively supporting the UN Framework on international tax cooperation to address issues like tax base erosion and profit shifting, engaging in discussions on the fair taxation of the burgeoning digital economy, and vigorously working to curb tax-related illicit financial flows, advocating for the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR) in international forums. Simultaneously, Nigeria is actively pursuing partnerships to amplify its access to crucial climate finance in support of its climate action objectives. The discussions with Norway centered on potential collaboration within the framework of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)’s “Energy for Development” platform. This aligns with Nigeria’s ambitions to transition towards sustainable energy sources, enhance its resilience to the growing impacts of climate change such as desertification and flooding, and build necessary adaptation capacities. Beyond this specific bilateral engagement, Nigeria is a vocal advocate for a broader streamlining and scaling up of climate finance accessibility for developing nations, emphasizing direct access, simplified reporting mechanisms, and a reduced reliance on debt-based instruments for climate initiatives. Ultimately, Nigeria’s dual focus on tax transparency and climate finance underscores a resolute commitment to leveraging international collaboration as a catalyst for achieving its overarching sustainable development goals. By fortifying its tax systems and securing essential climate finance, Nigeria aims to stimulate economic growth, foster improved governance and accountability, and pave the way for comprehensive and sustainable development. The bilateral meeting between Nigeria and Norway at the 2025 UN meetings marks a significant step towards forging a robust partnership in these vital domains, with potential outcomes that could substantially shape Nigeria’s progress towards its economic and environmental aspirations.
