20-22 September, 2011

Lagos, Nigeria

The African Mayoral Climate Change Declaration – West African pre-COP17 Congress officially began on 21 September 2011 in Lagos, Nigeria.

The event, co-hosted by Lagos State Government and ICLEI Africa, saw Mayors and other local government representatives from across West Africa meeting to sign the "African Mayors Climate Change Declaration". The congress also served as a preparatory platform for West Africa’s local authorities and their partners to prepare for UNFCCC COP17/CMP7 in South Africa later this year.

Attracting over 600 participants from across West Africa, the congress received extensive coverage in the local and national media. For the announcement by Lagos State Government, please see here»

In his opening speech, his Excellency the Governor said “I express gratitude to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)... and hope that this will be the beginning of many more meetings where Lagos and Nigeria will take leadership for combating the greatest threat to the human civilisation”. He subsequently went on to lead the signing of the African Mayoral Climate Change Declaration, followed by 83 other local government representatives.

The Declaration, which was originally adopted at the Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011 Congress (LOCS2011) in Cape Town, aims to raise key concerns of Africa's local governments in the lead up to COP 17/CMP7. It also calls for recognition of African local governments as pivotal partners in implementing climate change policy and developing a just and pro-poor response to climate change.

At the signing ceremony, the Governor urged more collaboration among African countries and more action at the community level. He said: "It is the Governors, Mayors and Provincial heads who would stand to impact change and adaptation strategies more than national leaders such as Prime Ministers and Presidents, because the former live with the problem while the latter relate to it peripherally.”

The Federal Minister of the Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafa, similarly encouraged African countries to take decisive actions on confronting climate change. She stated that due to its geographical and economic peculiarities, Africa was more vulnerable to the effects of the problem. She also encouraged the developed nations that had contributed most to the issue of global warming to take responsibility and help African countries in facing the effects of the problem.