Building Nigeria’s Carbon Backbone: Why Credible Registry Matters More Than Hype

Ani Bassey-Eyo

I ve spent the past few years helping teams turn sustainability talk into tangible, investable action. In Nigeria, we are at a crucial inflection point. The National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) has begun to set the rules of the road, positioning the BTR2 and NC4 (the Second Biennial Transparency Report and the Fourth National Communication) as central tools for tracking progress and driving data-driven climate action.

As Dr. Chukwuemeka Okebugwu, Assistant Director at the NCCC, recently noted, this process has the potential to create a strong institutional framework, one that enables seamless data flow and ensures high-quality reporting nationwide. That backbone, if designed well, is what will transform climate ambition into bankable outcomes.

Registries: More Than Paperwork

Let’s be clear: registries are not “nice to have.” They are the ledger of trust. Without a credible national system, investors cannot properly price risk, companies cannot plan effectively, and communities rarely see durable benefits.

We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Kenya’s regulations offer a strong benchmark, embedding community benefit-sharing and providing clarity on how the national registry operates. South Africa adds another lesson: connect your registry to fiscal incentives and you attract real capital. Nigeria can, and should, adapt both approaches.

The Private Sector is Already Moving

It’s important to recognize that our private sector is not waiting on the sidelines. Platforms like Netzence’s CloseCarbon are already onboarding Nigerian corporates. That momentum is valuable, but it needs to align with the NCCC’s National Carbon Registry and authorization processes to prevent fragmentation or double counting.

Think of it as building railway tracks: the national registry sets the rails, private platforms help scale onboarding, and businesses gain a reliable path from project to credit to claim. Everyone wins when the system is coordinated.

Integrity and Incentives Matter

If Nigeria wants to attract ESG-aligned capital, integrity cannot be optional, it must be designed into the system. That means raising the bar on MRV (measurement, reporting, and verification), clarifying which standards and claims are acceptable, and publishing a clean, API-first roadmap for the registry.

On incentives, simplicity is key. We could pilot tax or import-duty relief tied to verified outcomes, earned only at credit retirement. Predictable, performance-based incentives give CFOs a reason to commit and developers a reason to build.

Why This Moment Matters

This is not an abstract conversation. Nigeria’s BTR cycle (Biennial Transparency Report) is already forcing better data practices. Exporters are feeling the heat of tightening disclosure requirements and CBAM-style (CBAM-style are mechanisms similar to the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which aims to put a fair price on the carbon emissions of imported goods, prevent “carbon leakage,” and encourage cleaner production in non-EU countries) pressures from global markets. Communities are demanding benefits that are tangible and recurring.

A credible national registry is the bridge between these pressures and opportunities. It’s how we turn today’s pilots into a steady pipeline of high-quality mitigation outcomes that global buyers are willing to pay for. More importantly, it ensures those proceeds build real resilience at home.

If we get the plumbing right, the capital will follow.

Bassey-Eyo is Managing Director, LANI Group