Onuigbo Honoured at UK Parliament, to be Inducted as President of Globe Legislators

Former member of the House of Representatives and sponsor of Nigeria’s landmark Climate Change Act 2021, Rt. Hon. Sir Sam Onuigbo, FCIS, FNIM, KJW, is set to receive one of the highest international recognitions in climate leadership as he will be inducted as President of GLOBE Legislators at the United Kingdom Parliament on June 24, 2026.

The development is contained in an official invitation letter signed by Malini Mehra FRSA, Chief Executive of GLOBE Legislators and Ambassador and Curator of London Climate Action Week, and made available to Dailytrailnews.com.

According to the letter, Onuigbo has also received a special invitation to participate in the London Climate Action Week (LCAW), scheduled for June 20 to 28, 2026, where he will deliver two remarks at GLOBE’s 35th Anniversary Reception on June 24 at the UK Parliament, and inaugural Nigeria Climate Investment Summit, at the Mansion House, City of London, on June 23rd, 2026.

GLOBE Legislators, founded in 1991 by former United States Vice President Al Gore, Secretary John Kerry and parliamentarians from the Russian Duma, Japanese Diet and the European Union, is a founding partner of London Climate Action Week, now regarded as the world’s largest and most diverse festival of climate action. The event brings together lawmakers, governments, investors, businesses and civil society leaders from across the globe to advance ambitious climate legislation and sustainable development.

The organisation noted that its 35th Anniversary celebration would also serve as the introduction of GLOBE’s new leadership team as it establishes its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, with Rt. Hon. Sir Sam Onuigbo at the helm as President.

The latest international honour adds to a growing list of recognitions earned by Onuigbo over the years. He was inducted into the National Assembly Hall of Fame as one of the five Most Valuable Parliamentarians out of the 469 members of the National Assembly, and notably the only parliamentarian from Southern Nigeria to receive the distinction. He was also named one of the Top 30 Global Leaders in Climate Action by the New York-based Business Insider and was recently recognised as a Worthy Ambassador of the House by the 10th House of Representatives.

The recognition crowns decades of public service and legislative accomplishments by the Abia-born politician, whose leadership journey began at the United States Consulate General (formerly United States Embassy) in Lagos, where he served as an elected representative and President of the Foreign Service National Advisory Committee for two consecutive terms between 1992 and 1996. He also worked as Supervisory Fraud Prevention Specialist before voluntarily resigning the position to pursue broader public service.

In 1998, long before entering partisan politics, in 2010, Onuigbo had distinguished himself through community development initiatives by attracting United States sponsorship for the construction of classrooms to expand his alma mater, Community Primary School, Obuohia Obi-Ibere, Ikwuano Local Government Area. The project was commissioned by former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Howard Jeter in company of then Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, in 2001. He also founded Ambassador’s College, Obuohia Obi-Ibere, a public secondary school established to address the hardship faced by students who previously trekked nearly 12 kilometres daily to the neighbouring communities to access secondary education.

His dedication to public service later earned him appointments as Commissioner for Lands and Survey in Abia State between 2011 and 2012 and subsequently Commissioner for Finance from 2012 to 2013, positions through which he contributed to governance and public administration.

He was later elected to represent the people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North and Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, serving from 2015 to 2023. He became the first representative from the constituency to secure re-election.
During his tenure, he chaired the House Committee on Climate Change and established himself as one of Nigeria’s leading voices on environmental sustainability.

His most significant legislative achievement was the sponsorship of the Climate Change Act 2021, a landmark law that created Nigeria’s legal framework for climate governance, emissions reduction and sustainable development planning.

The legislation positioned Nigeria among nations with comprehensive climate laws and earned Onuigbo the recognition as the Father of Nigerian Climate Change, alongside widespread acclaim within international climate policy circles.

Before his current elevation, he served as Vice-President of GLOBE Nigeria from 2016 to 2019, President of GLOBE Nigeria from 2019 to 2023, and Head of Africa for GLOBE Legislators International from 2019 to 2026. He currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Climate Parliament, where he continues to champion climate legislation and sustainable development across Africa and the wider world.

The invitation letter further revealed that Onuigbo is the Convener of the Nigeria Climate Investment Summit and will play a major leadership role during the event, one of the flagship programmes of London Climate Action Week.

The summit is designed to showcase Nigeria’s climate policies, carbon market framework and renewable energy opportunities to global investors and development partners.

The summit is expected to attract senior Nigerian government officials, members of the National Assembly, governors, regulators, development finance institutions, international investors and leading climate experts, while promoting Nigeria as a destination for climate finance and green investment.

Some of the Speakers at the Summit include His Excellency, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu CFR, PhD, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, His Excellency, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, Former British High Commissioner to Nigeria , Catriona Laing, Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of Secretary-General of the United Nations for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy

The letter also highlighted that Onuigbo’s experience in introducing the Student–MP Climate Surgery initiative in Nigeria, after adapting the model from London, will be shared with international counterparts as an example of innovative constituency-based climate leadership.

For many observers, his induction as President of GLOBE Legislators at the UK Parliament is more than a personal honour. It represents a global acknowledgement of Nigeria’s contribution to climate legislation and recognition of an African leader whose journey from community development to international climate diplomacy has been defined by service, innovation and impactful leadership.