By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Federal Government and the Women Environmental Programme (WEP) have called for stronger implementation of Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change (NAPGCC), stressing the need to move from policy commitments to concrete action that protects and empowers women and girls.
The call was made in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of the assessment report on the implementation of the 2021–2025 NAPGCC, organised by WEP in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment.
Founder and Global Lead of WEP, Dr Priscilla Achakpa, said the assessment, which covered 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, revealed major gaps in the implementation of the plan, including low awareness among relevant institutions, weak coordination between gender and climate actors and the absence of dedicated public financing.
Achakpa said the findings should not be viewed as a verdict against the NAPGCC, but as a wake-up call to strengthen Nigeria’s climate response, particularly as the country implements its third Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC 3.0.
She called for a stronger and properly funded NAPGCC 2.0, with dedicated budget lines, an adequately resourced secretariat, improved coordination and gender-responsive climate financing.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Salihu Aminu Usman, said climate change was already having significant impacts on communities through rising temperatures, irregular and intense rainfall, flooding and loss of biodiversity and livelihoods.
Usman noted that women and children were among the groups most affected by climate change, stressing the need for gender-responsive approaches in national climate policies.
He said Nigeria’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and its updated NDC 3.0 had provided an opportunity to further integrate gender considerations into climate action.
Also, the Minister of Women Affairs said women and girls, particularly those in rural and climate-vulnerable communities, often bear a disproportionate share of the impacts of climate change, but should not be regarded merely as victims.
The Minister said women were important agents of resilience, adaptation and transformation, urging stakeholders to strengthen their access to climate finance, technology, information, education, skills and decision-making platforms.
She called for the findings and recommendations of the assessment to be translated into concrete policies, programmes and investments, stressing that the launch should mark “the beginning of a renewed commitment to action.”
The stakeholders urged government, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities to work together to ensure that gender equality becomes a central pillar of Nigeria’s climate action and that women and girls are empowered to lead climate solutions.
