Thursday October 2, 2025
Addis Ababa (HOL) — The Executive Director of the National
Climate Fund (NCF), Liban Obsiye, has emphasized that national coordination,
ownership, and leadership are essential for the success of climate finance
investments at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue with Africa, held
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday.
Speaking at a special session on GCF Country Platforms,
Obsiye highlighted Somalia’s new climate finance framework, which has been
established under a Presidential Decree and is now led by the NCF at the
Ministry of Finance. He underscored the government’s priority of securing
accreditation for a national entity to manage GCF funds, enabling the use of
country systems to strengthen institutions and reduce implementation costs.
“In our fragile context, every dollar investment must
produce more impact to build resilience for the most vulnerable. National
ownership, leadership, and coordination are a must to achieve this,” Obsiye
said.
He also stressed the importance of institutional capacity
building through the strategic use of GCF Readiness financing. Addressing
Africa’s wider climate finance challenges, Obsiye argued that better budget
planning, domestic revenue mobilization, and more effective public spending are
critical to narrowing the financing gap.
“Governments must include climate finance mobilization as
part of their broader macroeconomic strategies, given its disproportionate
impact on public expenditure in Africa,” he added.
On the sidelines of the GCF Dialogue, Obsiye held bilateral
meetings with senior GCF officials, including Catherine Koffman, Director for
the Africa Region.