Nigeria Remains Committed to Global Climate Action – Balarabe

Nigeria remains committed to global climate action while pursuing its national development priorities, Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal has said.

Lawal stated this in Abuja during a stakeholders’ engagement on the socialisation of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for development partners and the private sector, themed “Mobilising Partnerships and Investments for Climate-Resilient Development through Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan.”

The minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Salihu Aminu Usman, said the NAP was one of Nigeria’s major milestones in addressing the impact of climate change.

He said the plan provides a framework for identifying climate risks, reducing vulnerabilities, strengthening resilience and integrating climate adaptation into national, sectoral and sub-national development planning.

According to him, the plan prioritises critical sectors including agriculture, water resources, health, infrastructure, energy, biodiversity, forestry, disaster risk management and human settlements.

Lawal said closing Nigeria’s adaptation gap would require stronger partnerships, innovative financing, technology transfer, institutional strengthening and sustained investment.

He added that development partners had played an important role in Nigeria’s climate action efforts by strengthening institutions, building technical capacity, improving climate data systems and supporting access to international climate finance.

The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for private-sector investment through policy reforms, institutional coordination and partnerships aimed at reducing investment risks and encouraging innovation.

He urged participants to use the workshop to identify practical solutions, develop bankable adaptation programmes, strengthen institutional collaboration and mobilise investment needed to move the NAP from planning to implementation.

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Earlier, the Director of Climate Change in the ministry, Dr Iniagbon Abiola-Awe, said successful implementation of the NAP would require broad-based partnerships involving government institutions, development partners, the private sector, financial institutions, research organisations, civil society groups and local communities.

Abiola-Awe said the workshop was designed to deepen understanding of the NAP, highlight its strategic priorities and investment opportunities, and strengthen collaboration towards its implementation.

She also called for practical recommendations that would improve the resilience of Nigerians, ecosystems and the economy to climate-related challenges.

In a goodwill message, the Chief of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Sharon Dimanche, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in implementing the NAP.

Dimanche, represented by Hajara Jalo, said IOM would continue to support efforts aimed at building stronger, safer and more resilient communities across the country.

Participants at the engagement were drawn from the public and private sectors, financial institutions, academia, civil society organisations and development partners, including IOM, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).