Nigeria Reaffirms Climate Commitment, Seeks Private Investment to Close Adaptation Gap

By Ojoma Akor

The Federal Government has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to global climate action, while seeking stronger partnerships and private-sector investment to accelerate the implementation of its climate adaptation priorities.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said Nigeria was advancing a climate-resilient, low-carbon development agenda through a range of policy initiatives, including the Climate Change Act, the country’s third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Energy Transition Plan, National Clean Cooking Policy and National Carbon Market Activation Framework.

Lawal, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Salihu Aminu Usman, spoke in Abuja at a stakeholder engagement on the socialization of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan for development partners and the private sector.

The engagement, themed “Mobilizing Partnerships and Investments for Climate-Resilient Development through Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan,” brought together representatives from government, development organizations, financial institutions, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

The minister described the NAP as a major milestone in Nigeria’s climate response, saying it provides a framework for identifying climate risks, reducing vulnerability, strengthening resilience and integrating climate adaptation into national, sectoral and subnational development planning.

He said the plan establishes priorities across critical sectors, including agriculture, water resources, health, infrastructure, energy, biodiversity, forestry, disaster risk management, and human settlements.

“Adaptation requires new partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, technology transfer, strengthened institutions and sustained investments,” Lawal said.

He stressed the need to integrate climate risks into development planning and decision-making, noting that the scale of the adaptation challenge could not be addressed by government alone.

According to him, development partners have played an important role in Nigeria’s climate response by strengthening institutions, building technical capacity, improving climate data and information systems, facilitating access to international climate finance and supporting adaptation initiatives across the country.

Lawal also said the government was committed to creating an enabling environment for private-sector investment through policy reforms, stronger institutional coordination and partnerships aimed at reducing investment risks and encouraging innovation.

He urged participants at the engagement to identify practical solutions, develop bankable adaptation programs, strengthen institutional collaboration and mobilize investment needed to move Nigeria’s adaptation agenda from planning to implementation.

“Together, let us build a future where every investment strengthens resilience, every partnership accelerates progress, and every Nigerian has the opportunity to thrive despite the challenges of a changing climate,” he said.

He said that successful implementation of the NAP would require broad-based partnerships involving government institutions, development partners, private companies, financial institutions, research organizations, civil society, and local communities.

He acknowledged the contributions of development partners to strengthening Nigeria’s institutional capacity, climate governance, technical expertise and climate financing. He called for continued collaboration to implement the priorities identified in the NAP.

He also highlighted the growing role of the private sector in climate adaptation, including through innovation, investment in climate-resilient technologies, resilient value chains, climate insurance, infrastructure financing and nature-based solutions.

“Adaptation is no longer solely a public policy issue; it is increasingly a business imperative and an investment opportunity that can deliver economic, social and environmental returns,” he said.

Earlier, the Director of Climate Change in the Ministry, Dr Iniagbon Abiola-Awe, said the engagement was designed to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the NAP, highlight its strategic priorities and investment opportunities, and foster collaboration towards its implementation.

She said the workshop would also provide an opportunity to strengthen coordination and mobilize the resources needed to translate the plan into actions that improve the resilience of people, ecosystems and Nigeria’s economy.

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

Represented at the event by Hajara Jalo, Dimanche said IOM was committed to ensuring that climate action contributes to stronger, safer and more resilient communities across Nigeria.

She described the engagement as an opportunity to deepen collaboration, identify areas for partnership, and develop mechanisms to translate the NAP into tangible and lasting outcomes for communities.

Participants at the engagement included representatives of public- and private-sector institutions, financial organizations, academia, civil society, and development partners, including the IOM, World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).