Nigeria Climate Change Forum: SPP Set to Host High Level Panel on Subnational Climate Interventions

The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) is set to host a High-Level panel session in collaboration with the Africa Climate Foundation (ACF) during the foremost Nigeria Climate Change Forum in Abuja.

The High-level panel session is part of SPP’s commitment to put the subnational actors at the frontiers of climate change action in Nigeria and Africa.

The Nigeria Climate Change Forum, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to catalyse transformative action that will address climate change challenges in Nigeria and across Africa provides opportunity for Ministries, Government Authorities, Chief Executives, senior decision-makers, industry leaders, development partners and climate activists from various sectors to share ideas and explore multilateral avenues to catalyse national development.

As a pioneering environmental NGO, it is noteworthy to state that the SPP Team led by Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, in its attempt to galvanise awareness for climate action at sub-national levels in Nigeria and ensure improved climate change action and resilience among the state actors; published the first of its kind mapping report on “Climate Impacts, Policies, and Actions at the Subnational Level in Nigeria” in close collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment and the Nigeria’s Governors Forum (NGF) in November 2023.

In 2024, SPP, through collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment launched the first-ever climate governance performance ranking report “Climate Governance Performance Rating and Ranking of Nigeria’s 36 States”.

The report which rated all the 36 states on 5 thematic areas: Climate Institutions and Governance, Climate Policy and Action Plan, Climate project Implementation, Climate Budget and finance and Online Visibility had Lagos, Gombe, and Ebonyi as the top three performing states with Borno and Ekiti states sharing the 4th positions.

The SPP High-Level Panel session will feature Professor Sam C. Ugwu, Hon Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Enugu State; Ms Aishat Barde, Hon Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Taraba State; Hon. Yakubu Kolo, Hon Commissioner for Environment, Niger State; Chief Mrs Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, Hon Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ekiti State; and Dr Mrs. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director, Department for Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment to discuss “Subnational (State-Level) Climate Interventions in Nigeria”.

The High-Level panel session to be moderated by Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, President, SPP, will provide an opportunity for the respective Hon Commissioners to highlight their state-level climate action, network with national and international stakeholders with the hope of attracting climate investment to their respective states.

Other distinguished leaders expected at the Climate Change Forum are Senator Kashim Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria, Hon. Wale Edun, Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Hon. Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister for Environment, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister for Budget and Economic Planning among other dignitaries.

It is expected that this transformative event will inspire collaborative action between government, private sector and international organizations towards driving sustainable development and achieving net-zero emissions in Africa and SPP is positioned as frontier NGO to provide the platform for subnational government to advance their climate action for sustainable development.

The Nigeria Climate Change Forum is scheduled to hold by January 28-29, 2025 at the Abuja Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The SPP High-Level Panel will hold on January 29, 2025 at the same venue.