National Adaptation Plan Nigeria: Country submits NAP to UNFCCC to strengthen climate resilience
By: Abudu Olalekan
Nigeria has formally submitted its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, fulfilling one of its statutory obligations as a Party to the Convention.
For a country already battling rising floods, desertification, drought and extreme heat across several states, the move comes at a time it is arguably needed the most.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said the submission is in line with the Cancun Adaptation Framework (CAF), which encourages countries to identify their medium to long-term adaptation needs and draw up practical strategies to address them.
According to him, Nigeria’s plan also fits squarely into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The Agenda places climate resilience, sustainable development, food security, agricultural transformation, economic diversification and the protection of vulnerable communities as key pillars for driving national prosperity.
With this submission, the Federal Government is simply not talking about climate action, but working to turn the President’s vision of a climate-resilient Nigeria into real action. One that protects livelihoods, drives inclusive growth and helps reduce the growing security risks linked to climate change.
Lawal explained that Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan is designed to reduce the country’s vulnerability to climate impacts by strengthening adaptive capacity and building resilience across communities and various sectors. It also aims to ensure climate change adaptation is properly and coherently integrated into new and existing policies, programmes and development plans at both federal and subnational levels.
A major part of the process, he noted, was the Climate Risks and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA). The assessment helped identify the communities most at risk and guided the selection of adaptation priorities across the country. These priorities are in sync with Nigeria’s development goals, the Renewed Hope Agenda and global best practices.
They cut across climate-smart agriculture to boost food security, resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration and the mobilisation of climate finance to unlock green opportunities while giving special attention to those most vulnerable.
“Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan provides a comprehensive blueprint for adaptation planning and governance,” Lawal said. “It charts a clear pathway towards a climate-resilient nation, environmental sustainability and the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda’s commitment to a prosperous, secure and sustainable future for all Nigerians.”
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.