Nigeria is considered 58th most vulnerable and the 22nd least ready nation to adapt to the threats of climate change. Vulnerabilities include exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. An estimated 25% of Nigerians live in the exposed coastal region – a hub for economic activity and source of 90% of foreign income.
Poor governance and minimal stakeholder engagement have remained the biggest challenges to climate readiness in Nigeria. Many key stakeholders lack awareness and understanding of the impacts of climate change on food security and the imperative for resilience. Government has also been unable to galvanize public and private stakeholders around a framework for climate resilient agriculture.
Responding to climate threats requires collective action. Government must provide leadership by creating and championing a framework with clear goals, roles and responsibilities. Platforms for engagement are required to achieve climate readiness, improve decision making, develop strategies and ensure implementation.
With the success of Nowhere to Run: Nigeria’s Climate and Environmental Crisis, and Swallow: Food Security in Nigeria’s Changing Climate, the Foundation has raised the profile of national and international discourse, drawing crucial attention to what is now a crisis for many Nigerian communities.
The Yar’Adua Foundation partnered with Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) to establish a community of practice around climate and environmental justice and build the capacity of activists in Niger Delta communities to engage policymakers and advocate for climate and environmental resilience in extractive communities.
The Foundation produced After Oil We Flourish! to explore the environmental and economic implications of a post-oil future. The video also captured the climate and environmental realities of vulnerable groups, especially in the Niger Delta while advocating for environmental justice and viable solutions for mitigation and adaptation to climate threats.