The Sokoto State Government, in partnership with International Alert Nigeria, has inaugurated a Project Steering Committee for implementation of the Powering Peace through Climate Action II project.
The inauguration followed resolutions adopted by stakeholders in peace-building, humanitarian and development sectors during a meeting on Thursday, February 12, 2026, in Sokoto, the state capital.
The move is aimed at strengthening coordinated responses to emerging climate-related security challenges.
Senior Project Officer, International Alert, Mr. Sanusi Audu, said climate change was shrinking grazing areas, reducing agricultural productivity and threatening livelihoods, thereby intensifying pressure on natural resources across many vulnerable communities in Nigeria.
Audu explained that declining access to land and water created competition among occupational groups, especially farmers and herders, leading to disputes that were largely resource-driven and increasingly linked to environmental stress factors.
He warned that addressing insecurity without recognising climate drivers would allow root causes to persist, stressing the need for climate-sensitive strategies to ensure long-term peace, stability and sustainable national development outcomes.
Vice Chairman of the committee, Mr. Mustapha Umar, emphasised the urgency of integrating climate considerations into conflict prevention and resolution frameworks at community, state and national levels for more effective interventions.
Umar, also Director of Relief and Rehabilitation at the State Emergency Management Agency, guided participants to outline actions including advocacy visits, community sensitisation and promotion of local ownership of climate resilience initiatives.
The District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, underscored the importance of coordinated strategies addressing climate and conflict challenges simultaneously to ensure inclusive responses involving government institutions, traditional authorities and grassroots stakeholders.
Umar-Jabbi called for conflict-sensitive policymaking that addressed underlying causes proactively, noting that climate change aggravated gender-based violence, poverty, social dislocation and declining educational outcomes in affected communities.
He stressed that mitigating climate impacts required collective action by government, civil society, development partners and citizens to achieve sustainable solutions capable of strengthening resilience and preventing recurring conflicts.
Participants observed that prioritising climate-sensitive conflict approaches would deepen understanding of the climate-security nexus and enable policymakers to design interventions addressing environmental pressures alongside socio-economic vulnerabilities effectively.
They added that adopting adaptive strategies could reduce climate-related conflicts, promote sustainable peace, support livelihoods and enhance resilience among populations most exposed to environmental and economic shocks.
Committee members include representatives of government ministries, community organisations, traditional institutions, persons with disabilities, civil society groups and the media.
By Habibu Harisu