By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Environmental stakeholders have validated the National Adaptation Plan( NAP) document, saying it will strengthen climate change resilience in the country.
They affirmed that the
National Adaptation Plan is not merely a policy document but a strategic framework that articulates how Nigeria intends to manage the risks posed by climate change while seizing the opportunities it presents.
The stakeholders stated this during a two days workshop of High-Level Validation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Document in Nigeria yesterday in Abuja .
Speaking at the program, the Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal, said Nigeria’s NAP is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), is building on the 13 identified thematic areas in the National Adaptation Strategy & Plan of Action (NASPA).
He said a major activity of the NAP process is the conduct of Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) aimed at identifying communities’ vulnerabilities and suggest possible adaption options to address these challenges.
Lawal represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari, explained that Nigeria made a commitment to reducing Green House Gas emissions by 47%, with international support (conditional).
“The Nationally Determined Contributions ( NDC ) also made provisions for adaptation strategies by aligning with Nigeria’s NAP that is about to be validated.
Adapting to climate change means taking action to prepare for and adjust to both the current effects of climate change and the predicted impacts in the future”.
The minister explained that the this administration cardinal agenda to addressed climate change, that is why
Nigeria, is a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
He emphasized that the Nigeria’s NAP Document is being validated today, the next phase would be the implementation. “All hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigeria is able to attract the needed funds, both locally and internationally, to address climate change impacts, especially with regard to adaptation”.
He noted that the possible adaptation strategies identified from the CRVA Report was subjected to an economic appraisal which looked at the economic consequences of both action and inaction.
He added that the appraisal suggested possible benefits of Adaptation Planning, what investors stands to gain and how much these impacts will be addressed. It also identifies the potential cost of inaction and loss to the Nation.
He disclosed that Adaptation Finance Strategy has also been developed which has 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 developed which will help in tracking progress made in Adaptation Planning and help ensure we are moving in the right direction, while learning in the process”,he stated .
The Minister stated that in the course of the Formulation Process, some gaps were identified in the NAPs Project that would further enrich and make the Document more robust. Two of the identified gaps are “Gender Considerations and “Conflict Sensitivity & Peacebuilding” and have been addressed through the Projects “Mainstreaming Gender Considerations into the NAP Process” and “Integrating Conflict-Sensitivity and Peacebuilding into Nigeria’s NAP Process”.
He also appreciated the NAP Global Network who supported the Country in addressing these gaps.
He revealed that presently talks are on with the NAP Global Network and other Delivery Partners to address other identified gaps such as “Issues on Loss & Damage”, “Human Mobility and the NAP Process” and “Education Considerations and the NAP Process”.
He maintained that addressing these gaps would further enrich the document.
Similarly, The Director General of Nigeria’s National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) Omotenioye Majekodunmi,in her goodwill message,said NCCC as the statutory coordinating authority under the Climate Change Act (2021), will ensure that the National Adaptation Plan is well coordinated, measurable, and aligned with national priorities.
Majekodunmi reaffirmed her agency unwavering commitment to ensuring that the Plan is transformed into a living instrument that drives investment, innovation, and resilience-building.
She said from the information gathered, the NAP process is built upon robust scientific assessments and broad stakeholder consultations, which identifying clear priorities and practical measures to strengthen resilience across sectors from agriculture, water resources, and health, to infrastructure, energy, and ecosystems.
“This process represents Nigeria’s proactive and coordinated response to climate change impacts already being felt across the country”.
The DG said As Nigeria prepares to submit her National Adaptation Plan to the UNFCCC, we do so with renewed hope, national pride, and a clear sense of direction.
“The NAP embodies our collective resolve to protect our people, sustain our economy, and preserve our environment. It is a call to act, to transform our climate challenges into opportunities for innovation, green growth, and resilient development”.
She also commended subnational governments, sectoral ministries, civil society organizations, and research institutions for their commitment and valuable inputs, which have ensured that this process remains truly country-driven, inclusive, and evidence-based.
Also, Also speaking, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS Ms. Beatrice Eyong,said the
realities of climate change affirmed that gender equality and climate action are inseparable.
Eyong represented by Programme Specialist UN Women, Osemhenjie Osalobo said UN Women has therefore made it a priority to ensure that Nigeria’s climate response is gender-responsive, inclusive, and effective.
“Over the past years, we have worked closely with the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), the Federal Ministry of Environment, and development partners to integrate gender into key national climate frameworks from the NDC 3.0 process to the development of the NDC Gender Integration Toolkit and Strategy launched earlier this month”.
She stressed that “As
we move toward implementation, the focus must now shift from commitment to action. I therefore call on all ministries, departments, and agencies represented here today to ensure that the NAP’s gender-responsive provisions are operationalized through targeted investments, gender-sensitive data, and the active participation of women and youth in adaptation planning, budgeting, and monitoring”, she insisted.
The Principal Climate Change Officer, African Development Bank( AFDB), Gerald Njume stated the Bank has committed to fully integrate climate change in all its operations ii) to direct at least 40% of its annual approval to climate actions in development programmes and projects to ensure that a minimum of 50% of its climate finance is allocated to climate adaptation; iv) full Paris alignment by 2025 and v) to mobilize USD 25 billion between 2020 and 2025 and vi) to actively mobilize climate finance from bilateral and multilateral climate and environment funds to bridge Africa’s climate finance gap.
“The pace of commitment has accelerated significantly; between 2020 and 2024, the Bank allocated $19.5 billion, representing 47% of all approvals. This successfully surpassed the Bank’s annual corporate target of 40% in 2021 and has maintained momentum ever since”.
He said the crucially, adaptation finance has been a major focus, accounting for 58% ($11.4 billion) of the total finance allocated from 2020 to 2024 .
Meanwhile, Ealier in her welcome address, The Director Department of Climate Change , Federal Ministry of Environment, Iniobong Abiola -Awe said Nigeria is presently formulating its National Adaptation Plans (NAP) as a means of identifying medium to long term adaptation needs, developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs in a participatory and fully transparent approach.
She said While efforts are on to mitigate the effect of climate change, the need for adaptation is also very important so that we can adjust our systems and operations to these effects without affecting our daily activities.
Peoples Daily gathered that the stakeholders were drawn from 36 states including FCT .Ranging from subnational governments, sectoral ministries, civil society organizations, and research institutions and valuable inputs, which have ensured that this process remains truly country-driven, inclusive, and evidence-based.
