Hope or Hype? Africa Goes Big at Climate Talks as Austerity Bites

Nigeria sent a whopping 1,411 delegates to the ongoing COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, sparking controversy at a time when the government is urging citizens to tighten their belts due to economic hardship.

This figure makes Nigeria the African nation with the most delegates at the conference and ranks third overall globally, tied with China. Only the United Arab Emirates (4,409 delegates) and Brazil (3,081 delegates) sent more representatives.

Other countries ranked the highest in Africa, behind Nigeria are Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana. Nigeria sent 1,411 people, followed by Morocco with 823 and Kenya with 765.

The list, published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), reveals a significant increase in participation compared to last year's COP27 in Egypt, which saw roughly 36,000 attendees. This year, over 70,000 delegates from around the world are expected to converge in Dubai for the event.

This article originally appeared on AllAfrica

Image by UNFCC/Flickr