As Nigeria grapples with the growing impact of climate change, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), agencies within the United Nations system and the Federal Government are deploying significant financial resources toward projects aimed at strengthening the country’s environmental resilience and climate adaptation efforts.
Data obtained from the Nigeria Development Cooperation Dashboard, alongside implementation reports from the United Nations Development Programme, showed that several major environmental projects are currently at different stages of implementation across the country under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
At the forefront of Nigeria’s international climate obligations is the Biennial Transparency and Fourth National Communication project under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The initiative has secured funding of about $2.27 million, equivalent to roughly ₦3.09 billion, out of which approximately $1.58 million, or ₦2.15 billion, had been disbursed by mid-2026.
Managed by the National Council on Climate Change, the project is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s climate reporting framework by tracking greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring compliance with global climate transparency obligations.
The data also showed that Nigeria is pursuing an ambitious environmental transition programme valued at nearly $100 million, equivalent to about ₦136 billion, to support ecosystem preservation and advance the country’s 2060 net-zero target.
The initiative, titled “Accelerating Nature and Climate Action to Advance Nigeria’s Net Zero and 30×30 Targets,” is supported by a $7.13 million grant, estimated at ₦9.7 billion, from the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund. The grant has further attracted approximately $93.85 million, or ₦127.6 billion, in co-financing commitments.
The programme is expected to drive large-scale emissions reduction across the energy and agriculture sectors, which together account for nearly 85 per cent of Nigeria’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Project records also indicated that a preparatory grant of $159,438, equivalent to about ₦217 million, had already been fully disbursed earlier this year to complete the legal and technical groundwork required for implementation.
According to the dashboard, Nigeria is also recording progress in chemical safety management and ozone protection through several internationally backed interventions.
The Nigeria Nationally Determined Contribution Programme has nearly exhausted its total allocation of $3.03 million, estimated at ₦4.12 billion, with about $3.028 million already released to strengthen national climate resilience frameworks and implementation mechanisms.
In addition, the project on the Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) has disbursed approximately $7.09 million, or ₦9.64 billion. PCBs are highly toxic industrial chemicals commonly found in obsolete electrical equipment and are classified among the world’s most dangerous persistent pollutants.
Nigeria is also intensifying efforts to eliminate ozone-depleting substances through Stage II of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan being implemented by the National Ozone Office and the Department of Pollution Control.
The programme is backed by a funding commitment of $4.13 million, estimated at ₦5.62 billion, for implementation activities, alongside an additional institutional support package of $1.55 million, equivalent to ₦2.11 billion.
Dashboard records confirmed that Tranche III funding valued at about $2.28 million, or ₦3.11 billion, had already been released to support the foam and refrigeration sectors.
Implementation reports noted that Nigeria’s foam manufacturing sector no longer uses ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons in either large manufacturing companies or small and medium-scale enterprises, marking a significant milestone in the country’s compliance with global environmental treaties.
Beyond federal climate policy and industrial reforms, sub-national environmental threats are also receiving targeted interventions.
The Climate Change Resilience Project has fully deployed grant financing of $673,082, estimated at approximately ₦915 million, to address urgent ecological challenges in vulnerable states.
Implemented by the UNDP in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance, the intervention has supported preparatory frameworks for risk-informed coastal planning in Lagos State to mitigate rising sea levels. The project is also funding erosion control and flood mitigation measures in Anambra State, where communities continue to face severe soil erosion and flash flooding.
International climate financing institutions, including the UNDP, the Global Environment Facility and the UNFCCC, have repeatedly identified Nigeria as one of Africa’s priority countries for climate adaptation and resilience financing because of its exposure to flooding, desertification, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss.
