For a record third consecutive year, President Bola Tinubu has turned out a notable absentee from the World Leaders’ Summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
The two-day Antalya Leaders’ Summit, slated for November 11 and 12 in Turkey, draws together presidents, prime ministers and heads of government to outline their countries’ climate priorities, announce commitments and provide political direction for international climate negotiations.
The summit is one of the most politically significant events of the annual climate conference, providing world leaders an opportunity to influence discussions on climate finance, adaptation, energy transition and support for vulnerable countries.
But, while several world leaders arrived in Antalya for the high-level engagements, Tinubu, alongside several other world leaders were absent from the gathering.
Tinubu’s absence from the leaders’ summit continues a pattern that started at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024. He had attended COP28 in Dubai in 2023.
At COP28, Tinubu was physically present at the World Climate Action Summit but did not deliver his scheduled national statement. He, however, addressed a high-level meeting on methane and other non-CO₂ greenhouse gases, where he reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to tackling methane emissions.
At COP29, Nigeria’s national statement was delivered on his behalf by Balarabe Lawal, then minister of environment and ecological management.
The pattern continued at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. Although Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the conference, the president did not personally attend the leaders’ engagements.
At COP31, Tinubu is again absent from the high-level gathering, with Nigeria missing from the list of countries scheduled to deliver national statements during the opening segment on November 11 and 12.
But, nations whose leaders do not give statements during the first segment can still do so when the high-level segment resumes on November 17 and 18.
President Tinubu’s continued absence comes against the backdrop of questions about his personal commitment to climate action, dating back to his presidential campaign.
In October 2022, while responding to a question about climate change at an interactive session organised by the Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna, Tinubu questioned Nigeria’s ability to meet with international climate obligations without financial support from developed countries.
“We need to tell the West; if you don’t guarantee our finances and work with us to stop this, we are not going to comply with your climate change,” Tinubu had said.
The remarks attracted criticism, with some questioning Tinubu’s understanding of the climate crisis and his choice of words, —”your climate change”.
