Ethiopia Wins COP32 Hosting Bid as Nigeria Loses Out

By: Abudu Olalekan

So… Ethiopia won.

Yeah. Over Nigeria.

COP32? Going down in Addis Ababa.

Not Abuja. Not Lagos. Not even Calabar (which, honestly, would’ve been a vibe). Nope. It’s Ethiopia. And look — no shade. Addis is legit. PM Abiy Ahmed called it “a global city in climate ambition” back in September. Smooth. Strategic. Worked.

Nigeria? Tried. Really tried. Put up a solid fight. But the room? Voted otherwise. Close call, they say. Doesn’t make it sting less.

And now? Everyone’s clapping. Sort of.

Rukiya Khamis from 350.org? She’s cool with it. “We welcome Ethiopia,” she says. Wants Africa’s voice front and center. Climate justice. Real solutions. Not photo ops. Not handshakes with carbon CEOs. Actual change.

But here’s the twist — while we’re celebrating COP32, COP31? Still stuck. Like that WhatsApp group chat where nobody replies but everyone’s online.

Australia wants to co-host with Pacific nations. Makes sense. Oceans are boiling. Islands sinking. They’ve been screaming into the void for decades. Now? They want the mic. On home turf. With Australia backing them — sorta.

Problem? Türkiye ain’t backing down. Also wants COP31. So now? Deadlock. Awkward silence at the UN table. Who blinks first?

If nobody does? Germany steps in. Treaty rules. Boring? Maybe. Predictable? Definitely. Safe? Probably. But not symbolic. Not emotional. Not right, if you ask the Pacific.

Fenton Lutunatabua — also 350.org, Deputy Head of Regions — gets it. “We’re glad about Ethiopia,” he says. “But COP31? Needs urgent clarity.” He’s pleading, really. Says oceans are the next Amazon. Warming fast. Rising faster. Pacific islands? Getting swallowed. Literally. Sea levels there? Twice the global average. Twice.

And yet — these same islands? Held the 1.5°C dream alive when richer countries wanted to bury it. Pushed for the Loss and Damage Fund. Got the ICJ to rule on climate harm. Carried the moral weight while others carried briefcases.

Now? They just want to host. To be seen. Heard. Respected.

But politics? Always messy.

Australia’s got baggage. Big one. Fossil fuels. Coal exports. Gas deals. The Pacific knows this. Ain’t blind. They’re saying: “If you wanna co-host with us? Cool. But clean up your act. Center our pain. Our demands. Our survival.”

Fair.

Türkiye? Probably thinks geography or diplomacy or rotating regional quotas should decide this. Not frontline suffering. Not poetic justice. Just… procedure.

And Nigeria? Sitting quiet now. Probably drafting a press release titled “Africa Still Won” — which, technically? True. Ethiopia’s African. So is Nigeria. So’s the whole damn continent. But symbolism matters. Hosting rights? They’re trophies. Megaphones. Legacy builders.

Addis will shine in 2032. No doubt. Highlands. Coffee. Solar farms. Green legacy projects. PM Abiy’s already scripting his keynote.

Meanwhile, COP31? Still floating. Between Canberra and Istanbul. Tug-of-war with climate stakes.

Observers whisper: “Let the Pacific have it.” Others mutter: “Stick to the rotation.” Few dare say: “Cancel the games. Pick someone. Anyone. Before we lose another year.”

Because here’s the ugly truth — while diplomats bicker over venues, glaciers keep melting. Storms keep drowning towns. Farmers keep losing soil. Kids keep asking why adults aren’t fixing this.

Hosting COP isn’t about fancy hotels or Instagrammable backdrops. It’s about pressure. Spotlight. Accountability. Who gets to set the agenda? Whose stories get told? Whose losses get counted?

Ethiopia? Ready. Nigeria? Will bounce back. Pacific? Still waiting. Still rising. Literally and figuratively.

Germany? Waiting in the wings. Quietly polishing chairs.

The world? Watching. Scrolling. Sighing.

Another summit. Another stalemate. Another chance slipping.

But hey — at least Africa’s hosting again. That’s something.

Right?