The 18th National Council on Environment (NCE) meeting has ended in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria, with a renewed national commitment to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
The challenges, collectively known as the triple planetary crisis, are widely recognised as a major threat to Nigeria’s sustainable development, economic resilience and environmental security.
Speaking at the close of the meeting, the Governor of Katsina State, Dr Dikko Umar Radda, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mallam Farouk Lawal Jobe, reaffirmed the state’s strong dedication to environmental sustainability.
He noted that the Governor’s early approval of funding and sustained political support were critical to the successful hosting of the Council, describing the NCE as a vital platform for policy alignment, collaboration, and coordinated national action on environmental challenges.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, described the Council’s theme, “Tackling the Triple Planetary Crisis of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Pollution for Sustainable Development in Nigeria” as both timely and urgent.
He warned that rising temperatures, desertification, flooding, pollution, and ecosystem degradation are already eroding livelihoods across the country.
According to the Minister, these challenges are deeply interconnected and demand an integrated, science-based, and multi-sectoral response. He stressed that isolated interventions would be insufficient to address the scale and complexity of the crisis.
Minister Lawal commended Katsina State for its leadership in climate governance, citing its second-place ranking in the 2025 Subnational Climate Governance Performance Ranking.
He highlighted the state’s Green Economy Roadmap, which prioritises renewable energy, dryland agriculture, eco-tourism, waste-to-energy solutions, and climate-smart development.
The Minister further noted the state’s plans to establish a Green Investment Fund and implement a 2025–2030 Climate Action Plan, urging other states to emulate Katsina’s approach by turning environmental challenges such as desertification and soil degradation into opportunities for economic growth and job creation.
Reaffirming the Nigerian Government’s commitment, the Minister outlined ongoing national initiatives, including the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, the Great Green Wall Programme under the leadership of its Director-General and CEO, Saleh Abubakar, MFR, the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management, as well as renewable energy and clean cooking policies.
He also called for innovative financing mechanisms such as public-private partnerships, green bonds, climate funds, and carbon markets, and encouraged stronger private-sector participation.
He identified corporate organisations, including the Dangote Group and the Nigeria Bottling Company, as potential partners in environmental restoration and sustainability initiatives.
The NCE brought together Commissioners responsible for environmental matters from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside development partners, academics, private-sector stakeholders, and civil society organisations.
Participants reviewed technical submissions, deliberated on key memoranda, and adopted resolutions expected to shape future environmental policies and interventions across the country.