President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Nkiruka Maduekwe as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) in an interim capacity, pending the confirmation of her appointment by the NCCC supervisory council.

According to Ajuri Ngelale, the president’s Special Adviser on Media, Maduekwe, aged 39, holds a bachelor of law degree; a master’s degree in environmental law & policy from the University of Dundee (UK), and a doctorate in law from the University of Hull (UK).

She is to serve as the co-chairperson of the intergovernmental committee on the national carbon market activation plan.

Maduekwe has over 15 years of national and international experience in climate policy development and project implementation.

The president has also approved the appointment of  Ibrahim Shelleng, 40, as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Finance & Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the President. He is seconded to the NCCC Secretariat, where he will handle all matters related to climate finance & stakeholder/donor relations.

Also appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations, Office of the President is Olamide Fagbuji, aged 44. He is seconded to the NCCC secretariat, where he will oversee the digitalisation of a new open procurement process and cross-departmental procedural optimisation initiative.

By the directive of the president, the appointments take immediate effect.

The president expects the new appointees to bring their expertise and discipline to bear in these very important assignments in pursuance of the nation’s aspiration for green industrial development and climate action for sustainable growth and national prosperity.