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World Environment Day: Nigerians asked to take collective action against climate change – EnviroNews
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Nigerians have been urged by the federal government to work together to secure essential funding, both domestically and internationally, to tackle the impacts of climate change, especially in terms of adaptation.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Salihu Usman, made the call on Friday, June 5, 2026, in Nasarawa State, during a workshop organised by his ministry to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day (WED) and sensitise stakeholders from the north-central geopolitical zone on Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan process.
Usman, who was represented at the occasion by Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director of the Department of Climate Change (DCC), noted that climate change remains one of the world’s most pressing issues, requiring collaborative action to address.
He revealed that Nigeria is impacted by this problem in a number of ways, including drought and desertification, rising sea levels, flooding, and seawater inundation of coastal areas, all of which have a negative impact on food security, human health, and settlements, resulting in increased loss of life and property.
Consequently, for Nigerians to adapt to these problems, the PS said they need to take action to prepare for and adjust to both the current effects of climate change and the predicted impacts in the future.
He alluded to the fact that the country included provisions for adaptation strategies in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) that expand upon the 13 thematic areas established in the National Adaptation Strategy & Plan of Action on Climate Change in Nigeria (NASPA-CCN).
According to him, conducting a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA), which was carried out to identify communities’ vulnerabilities and recommend potential adaptation alternatives to address the different climatic challenges facing Nigeria, was a major activity of the NAP process.
He said that an economic evaluation of the potential adaptation options found in the CRVA report examined the financial effects of both action and inaction. The assessment focused on the possible benefits of adaptation planning, the potential profits for investors, and the degree to which these effects will be lessened. It also draws attention to the potential cost and damage to the country of inaction.
The PS also disclosed that an adaptation finance strategy has also been developed, which identified and proposed possible funding sources for adaptation planning. It highlights the gains of investing in climate change adaptation and shows a “win-win” scenario for all. A monitoring and evaluation framework was also developed, which will help in tracking progress made in adaptation planning and help ensure the country moves in the right direction while learning in the process.
According to Usman, gaps were found throughout the NAP formation process, and some of them have been comprehensively rectified, thus enhancing the NAP document. These are “Integrating Conflict-Sensitivity and Peacebuilding” and “Mainstreaming Gender Considerations” into the NAP process.
He reminded everyone in attendance that the primary objective of the conference was to increase awareness of the NAP document, which highlights the consequences of inaction while emphasising the importance of adaptation planning.
“The next phase in the journey is the implementation process. To ensure that Nigeria can attract the necessary funds, both locally and internationally, to address the impacts of climate change, particularly in terms of adaptation, we must all work together,” he asserts.
Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Kayode Aboyeji, the national coordinator of Nigeria’s NAP, stated that its goal is to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience.
Additionally, he hinted that it is also to facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular, development planning processes and strategies within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate.
Some of the milestones achieved by the project he mentioned are climate data analysis and projections, the conduct of CRVA across the five ecological and six geopolitical zones. Nine states were selected as a focus of study, namely, Borno, Kebbi & Gombe, Nasarawa, Kwara & Enugu, Ondo, Lagos, and Bayelsa. Other successes recorded are field mission and vulnerability mapping.
Aboyeji praised all stakeholders who contributed to the document’s development, especially the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for its financial support.
By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja