Environmental leaders from Nigeria’s South-West, South-East, and North-Central regions have called for greater political commitment and increased funding to accelerate subnational climate action.
Speaking at a high-level panel during the Nigeria Climate Change Forum, hosted at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, on January 29, 2024, the commissioners highlighted state-level achievements, challenges, and opportunities in tackling climate change.
Key Discussions at the Forum
The panel, moderated by Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke (President, Society for Planet and Prosperity – SPP), featured:
🔹 Prof. Sam Ugwu – Commissioner for Environment & Climate Change, Enugu State
🔹 Chief Mrs. Tosin Aluko – Commissioner for Environment & Natural Resources, Ekiti State
🔹 Hon. Yakubu Kolo – Commissioner for Environment, Niger State
🔹 Hon. Aishat Barde – Commissioner for Environment & Climate, Taraba State
🔹 Mrs. Edidiong Eyo – Representative, Federal Ministry of Environment
The panelists detailed state-specific climate strategies, showcasing policies on afforestation, climate adaptation, green economy initiatives, and illegal mining bans.
State-Led Climate Initiatives
🌍 Enugu State: Established a Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, approved a climate action plan, and appointed a climate governance expert as an adviser.
🌍 Taraba State: Allocated 5% of the 2025 budget to climate action, banned illegal mining, and launched a tree-planting initiative targeting 2 million trees.
🌍 Ekiti State: Recognized for strong climate policies, leading partnerships with NGOs and international agencies.
🌍 Niger State: Developed a Green Economy Policy Blueprint and established a state-level agency for climate governance.
Barriers to Climate Action
Despite the progress, the commissioners highlighted major obstacles hindering effective climate governance:
🔸 Inadequate funding for climate projects.
🔸 Limited public awareness about environmental issues.
🔸 Weak political will from government officials.
The panel emphasized that without stronger political backing and funding, state-led efforts will struggle to drive transformative climate action.
Call for National Support
Mrs. Edidiong Udo, representing the Federal Ministry of Environment, stressed the importance of knowledge-sharing among states to replicate best practices in climate governance.
The forum, organized by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, brought together key players from government, private sector, advocacy groups, and civil society organizations to discuss scaling climate action across Nigeria.
Notably, an SPP ranking of climate governance performance in July 2024 placed:
🏆 Lagos State – 1st
🥈 Gombe State – 2nd
🥉 Ebonyi State – 3rd
🌍 Borno & Ekiti States – Joint 4th
As Nigeria faces increasing climate threats, the call for political will and financial investment has never been more urgent.
