IT is on record that the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyanhas accepted an invitation from the President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to visit the country this year. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the United Arab Emirates for the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) at the invitation of the President of the country.
The sustainability forum aims to serve as a platform for policymakers, business leaders, and civil society representatives to discuss strategies for transitioning to a sustainable economy while fostering global prosperity. The President was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
The summit, themed, “The Nexus of Next: Supercharging Sustainable Progress,” was scheduled to run from 12 to 18 January in Abu Dhabi. The event, which will be rounded off today brought together global leaders to accelerate sustainable development and advance socio-economic progress.
President Tinubu spoke on the second day of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week on “From Climate Imperatives into Economic Prosperity: Bridging Africa with the Global Energy Future”. In his speech, President Tinubu says global collaboration is key to sustainable development. Nigeria’s leader assured the global audience that Nigeria is ready to work with other nations to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable world for all. The president declared that no single nation can walk the road to sustainability alone, stressing that global interconnectedness demands collective action, knowledge sharing, and mutual support.
In his words, “The fight against climate change is not merely an environmental necessity but a global economic opportunity to reshape the trajectory of our continent and the global energy landscape. As leaders, stakeholders and citizens of our planet, we stand at a critical juncture in human history. To succeed, we must innovate, collaborate and act decisively as one global community”.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, President Tinubu assured the audience that the Nigerian government had developed actionable programmes in line with global expectations, bearing in mind Nigeria’s economic and political expectations.
“We have embraced a vision of sustainability that aligns with global aspirations while addressing local realities. Our efforts are anchored on three pillars: Energy Transition, Climate Resilience, and Sustainable Development. My administration recognises the importance of reducing carbon emissions and a just transition to clean and renewable energy, promoting environmental sustainability and economic growth.
Nigeria’s leader continued: “Our energy transition plans, like many nations, are aimed at diversifying energy sources and reducing dependency on fossil fuels, prioritising the transition to cleaner energy sources as a cornerstone of our national development strategy.”
He added that Nigeria is developing infrastructure for the widespread use of Compressed Natural Gas and electric vehicles and harnessing the potential in solid minerals to support the green energy transition. The Nigerian leader stressed that his country is also implementing climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance food security and lessen its destructive environmental impact. These include the introduction of the National Clean Cooking Policy, which aims to promote clean energy, environmental and health benefits, and socio-economic development in the African region.
President Tinubu said the government is working with local communities to implement solutions to mitigate the adverse consequences of the country’s environmental challenges, such as deforestation, desertification, coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution. These challenges, he said, threaten the livelihoods of millions. He called on partner countries to collaborate in mobilising resources to tackle these challenges and embrace innovation and technology.
According to him, “to promote a Green Economy in Africa, we must focus on integrating sustainable practices in all sectors of our economy. These investments are capital intensive and require international support from partner countries, including multinational organisations, development partners and individuals who share our vision of a sustainable, prosperous and equitable future”.
Part of Tinubu’s words: “By partnering with global leaders and harnessing the power of technology, we are finding new and innovative ways to address our environmental challenges. We have arable agricultural lands for advanced technological farming, including a bright future for Artificial Intelligence.” President Tinubu commended the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, for his invitation and foresight in organising the event.
It is curious that quite unlike the old policy of getting resourceful State House Correspondents who could have contextually reported this kind of strategic summit and make Nigerian citizens and business community to deepen understanding of deliverables and highlights of the proceedings, we now have to rely on press statements from the State House media managers. This isn’t enough for coverage of Nigeria’s presidency at this time. Some artful State House correspondents on the entourage would have independently reported to us what the UAE summit offered and why Nigeria should have been in a position to organise this kind of global summit.
A brief historical context too would have shown to us the robust leadership that UAE had consistently enjoyed without worshipping this demon, sorry strange god we call democracy. The very prosperous and stable UAE isn’t a democracy, after all. That is why we have to do a contextual reporting of the UAE to the young ones who would be wondering about the oil-rich and prosperous UAE that most of our people love to visit and even shop without deriving any lessons from their growth history and strategy.
Let’s do some exploration that may help some of the president’s men who should return to the UAE to relearn some strategies for developing an economy beyond oil (resources). Here is the thing, President Bola Tinubu’s recent trip to Abu Dhabi, UAE, for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2025) presents a valuable opportunity for him to learn from the UAE’s impressive strides in sustainability, economic development, and innovative governance. Here are some key leadership lessons he can take away from this trip as he returns this weekend:
– Sustainability and economic diversification
The UAE’s remarkable transformation into a sustainable and diversified economy is a shining example for Nigeria. Tinubu can learn from the UAE’s strategic investments in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and innovative technologies. By adopting similar approaches, Nigeria can reduce its dependence on oil exports and foster a more resilient economy.
– Innovative governance and public-private partnerships (PPP)
The UAE’s success in creating a business-friendly environment and fostering public-private partnerships (PPPs) is noteworthy. Tinubu can explore ways to implement similar PPP models in Nigeria, leveraging private sector expertise and resources to drive infrastructure development and economic growth.
– Visionary leadership and long-term planning
The UAE’s leadership has demonstrated a commitment to long-term planning and visionary leadership. Tinubu can learn from the UAE’s approach to setting ambitious goals and developing strategic plans to achieve them. By adopting a similar mindset, Nigeria can overcome its development challenges and achieve sustainable progress. There is too much politicking after elections in Nigeria. There should be more pursuit of sustainable goals. There is not much to sustain in political goals we see every day here.
– Collaboration and international cooperation
The ADSW 2025 platform brings together global leaders to address common challenges and share best practices. Tinubu can capitalize on this opportunity to build relationships with international partners, explore new areas of cooperation, and leverage global expertise to drive Nigeria’s development. There should be follow-ups after the photo opportunities in UAE.
*Adopting a proactive approach to security challenges
The UAE’s proactive approach to addressing security challenges, such as terrorism and cybersecurity threats, is commendable. Tinubu can learn from the UAE’s strategies and invest in modernising Nigeria’s security infrastructure to tackle its own security challenges.
– Investing in human capital and education
The UAE’s emphasis on investing in human capital and education is a critical factor in its success. Tinubu can prioritise education and skills development in Nigeria, focusing on programmes that promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability. That is what our curricula reforms need at this moment.
– Fostering a culture of transparency and accountability
The UAE’s commitment to transparency and accountability is reflected in its governance structures and institutions. Tinubu can learn from the UAE’s approach to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria, which is essential for building trust and ensuring sustainable development. There is too much of opacity in the operations of government business in Nigeria. And that is fostering a bandwagon of corruption and culture of impunity: how many scoundrels and criminals get punished?
By embracing these leadership lessons, President Tinubu can return to Nigeria equipped with new ideas, strategies, and partnerships to drive sustainable development, economic growth, and prosperity for all Nigerians.
Want is more deliverable, President Tinubu can also learn from the UAE’s successful strategies in managing oil resources for national development. Here are some key takeaways from the UAE:
– Diversification of the economy
The UAE has made significant efforts to diversify its economy, reducing dependence on oil exports. Nigeria can adopt similar strategies to develop other sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and services. Nigerian leaders should migrate from rhetoric to action on agriculture and manufacturing. There must be sustainable solutions to emergy management systems beyond curious obduracy and lack of common sense on Band A billing system that is killing humanity and businesses and our leaders are dancing on the graves of dead enterprises.
– Robust investment in critical infrastructure
The UAE’s investment in world-class infrastructure, such as ports, airports, and transportation systems, has boosted its economy. Nigeria can prioritise infrastructure development to enhance oil production and distribution. There is no trace of robust investment in even road transportation systems that have negatively affected food price inflation and agriculture business in this year’s almost 50 trillion naira worth of federal budget. It is all about insecurity and defence systems among other white elephants in the budget details. No good deals on ports and allied facilities.
– Local content development
The UAE has implemented policies to promote local content in the oil and gas industry. Nigeria’s Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) can learn from the UAE’s experiences in developing local capacities and capabilities. What we have here is still meretricious, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
– Public-private partnerships (PPPs)
The UAE has successfully leveraged PPPs to develop its oil and gas sector. Nigeria can explore similar partnerships to attract investments and expertise.
– Incentivising investments:
The UAE offers attractive incentives to investors, such as tax breaks and streamlined regulatory processes. Nigeria can consider implementing similar incentives to attract investments in the oil and gas sector and agriculture, notably livestock sector that is experiencing some revival of some sort at the moment.
By adopting these strategies, Nigeria can better manage its oil and other resources to drive national development.
Let’s continue next week on the remarkable difference quality of leadership has made in UAE and how that quintessence has affected development even in Saudi Arabia, their prosperous neighbour.
- Oloja is former editor of The Guardian newspaper and his column, Inside Stuff, runs on the back page of the newspaper on Sundays. The column appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays.