Nigeria Seeks Private Investment, Partnerships to Close Climate Adaptation Gap

The Federal Government has called for stronger partnerships and increased private-sector investment to close Nigeria’s climate adaptation gap, saying government alone cannot deliver the level of resilience required to protect communities, infrastructure and the economy from the growing impacts of climate change.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, made the call in Abuja at the weekend during a stakeholders’ engagement on the socialisation of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for development partners and the private sector, with the theme: “Mobilising Partnerships and Investments for Climate-Resilient Development through Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan.”

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Salihu Usman, the minister said Nigeria remained steadfast in its commitment to global climate action while pursuing its national development priorities.

He said the government had established a number of strategic frameworks and initiatives, including the Climate Change Act, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), National Adaptation Plan, Energy Transition Plan, National Clean Cooking Policy and National Carbon Market Activation Framework, as part of efforts to build a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy.

According to him, the NAP represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s climate action journey, providing a comprehensive framework for identifying climate risks, reducing vulnerabilities, strengthening resilience and integrating climate adaptation into national, sectoral and subnational development planning.

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

Lawal, however, warned that the scale of the adaptation challenge required more than government intervention, stressing the need for new partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, technology transfer, stronger institutions and sustained investment.

“Adaptation requires us to mainstream climate risk into every aspect of development planning and decision-making,” he said.

The minister acknowledged the contribution of development partners to Nigeria’s climate agenda, noting that their support had helped strengthen institutions, build technical capacity, improve climate data and information systems, facilitate access to international climate finance and support adaptation initiatives across the country.

He also assured the private sector of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for climate-related investment through policy reforms, institutional coordination and partnerships designed to reduce investment risks and encourage innovation.

Lawal said the engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to deepen their understanding of the NAP, identify partnership opportunities and mobilise the investment required to move from planning to implementation.

He urged participants to develop practical and bankable adaptation programmes, strengthen institutional collaboration and establish partnerships capable of delivering measurable results.

“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.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, represented at the event by the Director of Climate Change, Dr. Iniagbon Abiola-Awe, said successful implementation of the NAP could not be achieved through government efforts alone.

He said broad-based partnerships involving government institutions, development partners, the private sector, financial institutions, research organisations, civil society and local communities were essential to translating the plan into concrete action.

Usman said development partners had consistently supported Nigeria through institutional capacity building, improved climate governance, technical expertise and financing for climate action, expressing the ministry’s readiness to deepen such collaboration.

He particularly highlighted the role of the private sector in driving innovation, mobilising capital, developing climate-resilient technologies, strengthening resilient value chains, expanding climate insurance, financing resilient infrastructure and supporting 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.

In her welcome address, Abiola-Awe said the engagement was designed to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the NAP, present its strategic priorities and investment opportunities, and foster dialogue on accelerating its implementation.

She said the workshop would also help strengthen coordination, identify areas for collaboration and mobilise resources required to improve the resilience of Nigerians, ecosystems and the national economy.

She urged participants to share experiences and practical recommendations capable of strengthening implementation of the adaptation plan, expressing confidence that the engagement would produce actionable outcomes for Nigeria’s climate resilience agenda.

In a goodwill message, the Chief of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Sharon Dimanche, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the Nigerian government in implementing the NAP and ensuring that climate action contributes to stronger, safer and more resilient communities.

Represented by Hajara Jalo, Dimanche said the engagement provided an important platform for deepening collaboration, identifying opportunities and building partnerships needed to translate the NAP’s vision into tangible and lasting benefits for communities across Nigeria.

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