As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate this year's World Environment Day, the minister of environment, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, has expressed optimism over the country's ability to tackle climate change challenges through the Climate Change Act.

The minister stated this yesterday at the event to mark the 2022 World Environment Day, themed: "One earth, together we can protect it", organised by the ministry in partnership with the European Union and the French Embassy in Nigeria, held in Abuja.

He said, "Between this last six months, we have the Climate Change Act, which is indeed bringing major policy framework that will allow us to tackle the climate change challenges."

Represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Engr Hassan Musa, Abdullahi also said that the ministry has the energy transition programme which it is working with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Power to see how emissions into the climate can be controlled in the country.

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, said France is playing its full part in this effort within the international community and is deploying a comprehensive diplomacy to respond to the urgency of climate environmental crisis in Nigeria.

"The French Embassy, the French Development Agency, AFD and their partners including the Federal Ministry of Environment are working hard to spread these convictions and support to support initiatives of the civil society aiming to reducing the impact of climate change in Nigeria.

"This year for instance, we are supporting the Center for Renewable Energy and action on climate change and also different foundations or associations that are working on, you know, training in climate smart farming practices or solar water irrigation systems. And also, nursery tree beds for instance in Sokoto State."