Climate experts from across Africa and beyond will converge in Abuja next week to examine how the continent can move from climate commitments to measurable results.
The fourth edition of the Africa Climate Forum (ACF) will hold on October 13 and 14 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The Forum, organised by the Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy (GCLBE), is themed: “Implementing in Lockstep: Public-Private Action for Green Outcomes.”
It will bring together government officials, business leaders, development institutions, climate practitioners, investors and other stakeholders.
According to organisers, the theme reflects a growing recognition that Africa’s climate transition cannot be achieved by governments acting alone, but requires closer coordination among the public sector, private enterprise, financial institutions, development partners and communities.
The Convener of the Africa Climate Forum and Director General of GCLBE, Prof. George Nwangwu, said the continent must move beyond ambitious declarations to practical partnerships capable of delivering tangible outcomes.
“Climate action requires more than ambition. It requires governments, businesses and financial institutions to move together,” Nwangwu said.
He added that the Forum would provide an opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships, develop new ones and encourage commitments capable of translating into meaningful action.
Discussions will focus on pressing issues confronting Africa’s climate transition, including the role of private enterprise in climate action, development of carbon markets, energy access, the place of natural gas in Africa’s energy transition, food security and climate adaptation.
Participants will also examine community-led climate action, human rights and the just transition, as well as the growing role of artificial intelligence, data and digital technologies in climate planning, monitoring and implementation.
The focus comes at a time when African countries face the difficult task of financing climate priorities while pursuing economic growth, energy security, poverty reduction and resilience to climate impacts.
For many countries, organisers noted, the challenge is not simply setting climate targets, but creating the financial, institutional and technological systems needed to implement them.
The Forum will also explore the role of public-interest journalism in strengthening climate accountability, improving public understanding of climate issues and amplifying the experiences of communities affected by climate change.
Organisers believe the initiative could help address one of the major obstacles facing Africa’s climate ambitions: the gap between projects requiring funding and the investors and institutions capable of providing it.
The Abuja gathering follows climate conversations hosted by the Africa Climate Forum in Accra earlier this year, where stakeholders considered climate partnerships, financing, just transition and public-private collaboration.
Since its inaugural edition in 2023, the Africa Climate Forum has provided a platform for policymakers, businesses, investors and development actors on Africa’s response to climate change.
The 2026 edition, however, places a sharper emphasis on implementation, signalling a shift from discussing what Africa needs to do on climate change to examining how those priorities can be financed, coordinated and delivered.
