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The Federal Government says it is collaborating with some civil society organisations (CSOs) to assess, track and rank the efforts put in place by states and Local Government Areas (LGAs) in addressing climate change issues.
Mr. Dasuki Arabi, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), said this at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on Climate Action Index (CAI) on Wednesday, February26, 2025, in Abuja.
The workshop was jointly organised by BPSR in partnership with the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) and Centre for Climate Action, Innovation and Engagement (CCAIE).
Arabi said the CAI would help drive accountability, encourage competition and highlight best practices to be replicated across the country.
“The Climate Action Index we introduce today is designed as a tool to assess, track, and rank sub-national climate efforts.
“This workshop aligns with Nigeria’s broader commitment under the Paris Agreement and Climate Change Act of 2021, towards ensuring that subnational climate actions are transparent, measurable and impactful.
“The CAI is an innovative initiative created to amongst others evaluate, rank and support subnational governments in Nigeria towards fulfilling the climate commitments,” he said.
According to Arabi, climate change remains one of the most defining challenges in the country, with direct consequences on the economy, environment and public well-being.
This, he said, was an indication that a wholistic action should be taken to mitigate global warming and limit global temperature rise.
“Nigeria, like many other nations, have made ambitious commitments towards climate mitigation and adaptation through national and international agreements, including the Paris Accord and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
“However, the success of these commitments depends not just on federal policies but also on the active participation of sub-national entities like the states and local governments.
“While some countries have made significant commitments towards net-zero targets, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report 2024, indicates that current commitments are not enough to meet the Paris Agreement Goals,” Arabi said.
He added that the overall objective of the CAI was to ensure commitments towards addressing climate change and transitioning to a low carbon economy.
Mr A’Aron John, Executive Director, CCAIE, said the centre in collaboration with CeFTPI, developed the CAI to identify implementation gaps, promote accountability and develop actionable road map towards a net-zero future.
John regretted that Nigeria’s emissions increased by a Compound Annual Growth Rate of one per cent between 1990 and 2021.
He said to avoid further increase in emission, the CAI would evaluate states and LGAs based on three key pillars according to the NDCs framework.
“The pillars are climate action plan alignment with the federal targets, integration into state policies and implementation frameworks,” he said.
The National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria and other critical stakeholders were part of the workshop.
By Emmanuel Afonne
