Examining Nigeria’s Institutional Response to Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change impacts has not many options for nations of the world. The need to brace up to the daunting challenges posed by climate change: floods, drought, fires and more, require enduring institutions to address the menace and ameliorate the multidimensional impacts. Nigeria is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of changing climate which are already disrupting established norms. In the light of the realities, the need to set up enduring institutions that will drive efforts towards mitigation and adaptation and fulfill obligations under the Paris Agreement is cogent. The article examined the role of the federal, state and local government vis a vis: the institutions that were saddled with the responsibilities on climate change before enactment of the Climate Change Act 2021. It was discovered that the multiple institutions pre national climate change council were not optimum in discharge of their mandates due to overlapping functions, interagency rivalry, inability to effectively coordinate the multifarious sectors for mitigation and adaptation, but with the new Council as the highest body on climate change in Nigeria, it is a watershed in the history of the country’s effort at addressing climate change.

Keywords: Challenges, Climate change, Institutions, Mitigation, Adaptation

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/81-03

Publication date: November 30^th 2022