Environment
FG To Review National Policy On Climate Change
The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, says the Federal Government is reviewing the National Policy on Climate Change in order to fulfill the country’s Paris Agreement obligation.
Abubakar made the disclosure at the opening session of a two-day South West Regional Sensitisation Workshop on Climate Change held in Lagos.
He said that the Federal Government was advancing policies and initiatives aimed at addressing significant challenges occasioned by climate change.
According to him, the initiatives included proactive measures to revive Lake Chad; increasing forest cover, deployment of smart renewable energy solution, reverse desertification and land degradation, promote awareness campaigns and youth engagement in climate governance.
“The Federal Government has also developed a Sectoral Action Plan (SAP) for the implementation and fulfillment of our country’s obligation under the Paris Agreement and goals of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
“We have also embraced issuance of Green Bond to raise finance for implementation of green projects and have received support from the Green Climate Fund to review the National Adaptation Plans and Technology Needs Assessment,” he said.
Abubakar said the ministry had also received support from the Green Climate Fund to review the National Adaptation Plans and Technology Needs Assessment.
The minister said that the government would not relent in creating more awareness on climate change through sensitisation activities in the six zones in the country.
He, however, condemned the open burning of confiscated goods by some government agencies, saying the trend contributes to the effect of climate change in Nigeria.
“Open burning of confiscated goods has been the practice of NDLEA, Customs, and other government agencies and I must say, it is not the best way.
“Whatever they are burning, there are items that can be recycled and converted to materials that can be useful.
“We need to find other ways to dispose these goods for the safety of the environment,” he said.
In his presentation, Dr Yerima Tarfa, the Director, Department of Climate Change, said Nigeria must devise new ways to tackle environmental challenges especially in the five sectors contained in the NDC.
The sectors include Agriculture, Transportation, Oil and Gas as well as Power and Industry.
He said that: “We are emitting a lot of carbon dioxide through agricultural practices, so we have to find a way of engaging in environmental friendly and planet smart agriculture.
“The transportation sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gases because of the combustion that emits from the vehicles on the road.
“The world is now moving to electric cars as a way of reducing the effect on climate change.
“We have also realised that waste sector is also one of the major contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases and we reviewing our NDC to include the sector”.
Tarfa noted that tackling climate change required the efforts of religious bodies, non-governmental organisations, manufacturers, and individuals.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello reiterated the state’s commitment toward addressing climate change challenges through collaboration with stakeholders.
Bello, who was represented by Mr Michael Bankole, said the collaboration was pertinent to delivering on Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution on reduction of climate change.
“It is no longer news that the impact of climate change is experienced all over the world.
“Protecting the environment and addressing climate change is our collective responsibility.
“Therefore, I urge all stakeholders to work closely so as to fulfill the promise of creating a sustainable environment for our future,” he said.
The Ministry of Environment on Thursday in Abuja, advanced its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, validating a comprehensive plan aimed at tackling climate-related challenges in the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Mahmud Kambari, said this at the Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on the Development of the concept notes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for NAP in Nigeria.
Kambari, who was represented by Mrs Victoria Pwol, the Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the ministry, said that the workshop is a collective resolve to confront the realities of climate change with purpose, strategy, and coordinated action.
“Over the past years, the Federal Government of Nigeria, with crucial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has made significant progress in advancing the NAP process.
“As a nation, we stand at a critical juncture where climate risks ranging from extreme weather events to environmental degradation continues to threaten our socio-economic stability, food systems, public health, infrastructure, and national development aspirations.
“Through extensive technical work, we have completed a Climate Risk Assessment across all geopolitical and agro-ecological zones, developed an Economic Appraisal, an Adaptation Finance Strategy, and a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.”
Kambari said that these foundational elements now guide Nigeria to identify priority adaptation needs and investment opportunities.
“Let me mention that we are at the tail end of this NAP Formulation Process and looking forward to the implementation phase.
“This workshop therefore serves as a strategic purpose to harmonise perspectives across key MDAs; refine project ideas into strong, evidence-based concept notes.
“It will ensure that proposed interventions align with national priorities and the investment criteria of the GCF and position Nigeria to competitively access the resources required to strengthen resilience across vulnerable sectors,” he said.
Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, the Director DCC in the Ministry said that the engagement would enhance achievements by collaboratively developing bankable, climate-resilient concept notes that align with national priorities and meet the GCF’s investment requirements.
Abiola-Awe who was represented by Dr Jonah Barde in the Ministry said that the workshop represented an important step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
She added that the workshop would advance sustainable development, and mobilise the climate finance needed to safeguard Nigeria’s communities, ecosystems, and economy from the growing impacts of climate change.
Effective communication, transparency, and science-based risk assessments are the cornerstones of Nigeria’s approach to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Mr Bello Bwari, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), gave the assurance during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
“Where there is communication, you reduce conflict. Effective communication is key, effective engagement with stakeholders is paramount and key to making Nigeria better.
Bwari said anti GMO’s critics keep participants and practitioners on their toes.
“We value them and we expect that their criticisms, suggestions and recommendations will make our operations in the entire spectrum better.
“Where we are not doing so well, we will hear from them, where we can advance explanations, we will advance explanations. Where they are not doing well, we will tell them. We will not run away from doing that.
“But I want to assure you that we are bold enough to face anybody who is not fact-based,” he said.
He reassured that sometime before the end of the second quarter of 2026 there would be a retreat where all stakeholders would be invited.
“And also, the impact we are bringing is going to be measurable by the end of 2026. And going forward, what we do by the end of 2026 will form the basis of our five-year plan.
“There’s a five-year plan which will start at the end of 2026. So, I enjoin the media to please report what you know as a matter of fact, not as a matter of opinion.
“We all have different opinions, but some of our opinions are not facts. From the quality of what I see on papers, reportage, I think largely I’m impressed with what the press is doing in Nigeria so far,” he said.
Bwari stated that Nigerians deserved to understand what NBMA regulates, why they regulate it, and how decisions were made.
“Part of my focus going forward will be strengthening engagement with the media, researchers, policymakers, and the public because regulation works best when it is understood.
“We are not promoters of any technology, and we are not opponents of innovation. We are regulators.
“But at its core, biosafety is about prevention, caution, and preparedness. It is about ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety, and that national development never compromises public health or environmental integrity,” he said.
He promised to uphold the law without fear or favour, communicate more clearly with the public and ensure that every regulatory decision was transparent, evidence-based, and accountable
“NBMA is not an advocacy agency. Our duty is to assess risks, enforce safeguards, and ensure compliance with national and international biosafety standards.I also want to emphasise that public trust matters.
He further urged the media to help Nigerians understand biosafety and biosecurity in a better way.
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