This weekend, thousands of people took to the streets in 600 actions across 85+ countries in the global mobilisations called “Draw The Line,” demanding rights, jobs, justice, democracy, and a safe planet to live on.
On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, civil society groups are following up with an open letter to world leaders ahead of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ Climate Summit in New York, where countries are expected to present their updated national climate plans (NDCs).
UN Headquarters, New York
Signed by 39 groups, the open letter reflects the collective civil society calls from the Draw the Line actions, stating:
“We call on countries with the greatest historical emissions and highest capacity to pay – and who have so far failed to do their fair share of global climate action – to include plans to equitably phase out fossil fuels and provide public finance for just transitions worldwide in their NDCs.”
By September 30, countries are required by the Paris Agreement to submit a 2035 emissions-reduction target, also known as National Determined Contribution (NDC). However, the general ambition is falling short of preventing worsening climate impacts that deepen inequalities and devastate communities, ecosystems, and economies.
The EU is likely to miss the deadline, while leadership is coming from emerging economies, positioning climate action as a route to resilience, investment and influence as opportunities open in global climate leadership.
Anne Jellema, Executive Director of 350.org, said: “Billions of people are already paying the price for the delay and denial of the biggest polluters. Governments must commit to phasing out fossil fuels and deliver the finance for a just transition. This is where we draw the line: Anything less is a betrayal of the Paris Agreement and of our shared future.”
Marginalised and vulnerable countries are bearing the heaviest burdens for a crisis they did not cause. The call from Draw The Line, adds Jellema, unites communities’ demands for urgent action from governments to end extractivism and stop fossil fuel expansion, deliver a fast, fair, funded, and just transition away from fossil fuels, address the injustices and inequalities driven by the current neoliberal and imperialist economic systems, and ensure a just transition to a world that protects life.
As the world gears up for COP30, Africa is amplifying its voice to address one of the most pressing and underfunded challenges of climate change: Loss and Damage. For too long, Africa has borne the brunt of climate impacts, despite contributing a minimal share to global greenhouse gas emissions. From extreme floods to devastating droughts, the continent has witnessed firsthand how climate change can wipe out years of development in a matter of days.
With the path to COP30 now set, Africa’s unified call for loss and damage finance is more urgent than ever. But the pressing question remains: will the Global North finally fulfill its commitments, or will Africa’s fight for justice be sidelined once again?
Dr Okoh Austine Sadiq, lead author end Editor of the Carbon Free Africa Network
A Unified Voice for Loss and Damage
At the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, the African Union (AU), in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), presented a clear and unified position for COP30. The position advocates for comprehensive financial mechanisms to address loss and damage from climate change impacts.
The loss and damage fund agreed upon at COP28 represents a historic step in recognising the severe and irreversible impacts of climate change. However, as Africa has rightly pointed out, this fund must be adequately capitalised and operationalised. The money in this fund must not only be sufficient but must be accessible to those who need it most – vulnerable communities that are often left out of traditional climate finance channels.
Who Holds the Purse Strings?
The issue of climate finance brings with it uncomfortable political economy questions. The Global North, responsible for the bulk of historical emissions, continues to hold control over the financial mechanisms designed to aid the Global South. According to the latest IPCC report, developing countries will require an estimated $1.5 trillion per year in climate finance to meet the needs of mitigation and adaptation.
Yet, the current global climate finance commitments remain a fraction of this amount, with developed nations failing to meet the annual $100 billion target they set at COP15. The question arises: How much longer can the Global South afford to wait for financial support while the Global North continues to shift the burden onto the shoulders of those least responsible for the crisis?
The Financial Mechanism: A Lifeline for Africa
For African nations, the climate finance they require extends beyond mitigation efforts aimed at reducing emissions. The true test lies in how the international community responds to the immediate and long-term losses and damages already being experienced across the continent. The impacts of climate-induced displacement, reduced agricultural productivity, and damaged infrastructure are not hypothetical – they are happening now.
African countries, particularly those in the Sahel, Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa, face dire consequences. Losses that cannot be prevented must be compensated, and damage that cannot be repaired must be restored. These are the humanitarian and economic needs that the loss and damage fund must address.
Mitigation vs. Adaptation
The debate between mitigation and adaptation is not merely a technical issue – it is deeply political. Africa faces the immediate effects of climate change, and its need for adaptation finance is critical. However, the Global North continues to focus on mitigation, arguing that climate finance should prioritise reducing emissions. But as the Global South deals with the brutal realities of climate impacts, how can we justify spending the lion’s share of climate finance on mitigation while adaptation – so crucial to Africa’s survival – is sidelined?
Herein lies the crux of the matter. Whose mitigation is climate finance and why is it amplifying aspects that resonates with the global north? The answer to these questions is blowing in the hot winds of the Sahara Desert blowing across climate ravaged communities from North Africa to West Africa towards the Kalahari Desert. Indeed, no community is left out.
Historical Injustice
There is a growing sense of frustration in Africa about the industrial North’s insistence on focusing heavily on mitigation rather than adaptation. The focus on mitigation has been characterised as a form of chicanery, a convenient excuse for the Global North to deflect from its responsibility to fund the adaptation needs of Africa. Mitigation efforts, such as reducing global emissions, are important, but they ignore the reality on the ground in Africa. By pushing the mitigation narrative, the Global North diverts attention from the urgent needs of African nations for adaptation.
It allows developed countries to continue with emission reduction schemes where the profit from climate risks while neglecting the financial commitments they made at previous COP meetings, such as the $100 billion annually in climate finance promised to developing nations. While the Global North continues to emphasise reducing carbon footprints, the Global South – especially Africa – faces the current and catastrophic impacts of climate change. There are accusations across of some firms being risk mongers and hunger profiteers and that the whole nature of climate finance rather than solving African climate crisis has reinforced existing status.
Though slightly far-fetched but on second thought holds significant truth that must be carefully interrogated. One thing is, however, certain: it is all not well with the state of climate finance. Multilateral agencies such as UNDP and UNEP have done excellently well in this regard by improving livelihoods without increasing debt burden.
Key Demand for COP30
But loss and damage are not the only areas where African leadership is calling for immediate attention. At COP30, the AU has emphasised the need for a scaling up of investment in adaptation efforts across Africa. This includes enhancing climate resilience in vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, and health. Adaptation is not a choice for Africa – it is an imperative for survival. The AU’s agenda for COP30 underscores the need for sustainable development with a focus on equitable financing and resilience-building. The impacts of climate change are not just a threat to the environment – they undermine the very social and economic fabric of African societies. By investing in adaptation, Africa is laying the groundwork for a more resilient future.
Whose Resilience is Adaptation Resilience, Who Benefits?
There are important questions of equity and political economy that must be addressed in scaling up investment for adaptation. Who will benefit from these investments? How will the wealth generated by adaptation and resilience-building be distributed within African nations? Will it continue to flow to the same elites who have historically benefited from climate exploitation, or will it reach the vulnerable communities who need it most? The answer to these questions will determine whether the call for adaptation is truly about resilience or just another tool for maintaining the status quo.
The Need for Justice in Climate Action
Africa’s focus on adaptation is not an opposition to mitigation; it is a call for justice. Africa does not oppose emission reductions; however, it insists that the financial resources promised for adaptation must be honoured. The Global North must prioritise adaptation because it is an immediate need for vulnerable nations. Moreover, the loss and damage fund, which was established at COP28, must be adequately capitalised and made operational to help African countries deal with the irreversible impacts of climate change.
While adaptation is undoubtedly Africa’s priority, the conversation must not be about mitigation versus adaptation – it is about both actions. Mitigation is essential for long-term sustainability, but it must not come at the expense of adaptation. Africa’s future depends on a balanced approach that allows for emission reductions while addressing the immediate survival needs of those already impacted by climate change. The Global North should invest in both mitigation and adaptation simultaneously, acknowledging that Africa is not asking for charity but for equitable access to the financial resources necessary to adapt to a changing climate.
COP30 as a Turning Point
COP30 is a turning point for global climate action. If the Global North continues to push for mitigation-first strategies, while failing to adequately fund adaptation and loss and damage, the climate justice that Africa seeks will remain elusive. However, if the Global North is willing to honor its financial commitments and shift its focus to adaptation, then COP30 could mark the beginning of a new era in climate cooperation. The political economy of climate finance has reached a critical juncture: will the global community rise to the occasion, or will Africa continue to bear the cost of a crisis it did not create?
Africa’s call for adaptation finance is a call for climate justice. The Global North must recognize that Africa’s survival depends not only on global mitigation efforts but also on financial support for resilience-building and adaptation. The time to act is now, and COP30 offers a crucial opportunity to achieve a balanced approach that meets both mitigation and adaptation needs. As the world gathers for COP30, Africa’s message is clear: no one should be left behind in the fight against climate change.
For Africa, it is not just about adapting to climate impacts – it is about recovering and thriving in the face of climate challenges. To do so, the international community must ensure that the loss and damage fund is fully capitalised, and that climate finance is scaled to meet the demands of adaptation and resilience. The world cannot afford to wait. Africa’s future depends on the actions we take today.
By Sadiq Austine Igomu Okoh, PhD, Climate Governance/Net-Zero & Energy Transition/GHG Accounting/Capacity Building Expert
Wildlife conservation group Wild Africa honours World Gorilla Day by urging all Nigerians, from policymakers to local communities, to protect the country’s last 100 Cross River gorillas collectively by supporting ongoing efforts to safeguard their populations and habitat, as well as reducing demand for commercial bushmeat that threatens them.
World Gorilla Day is celebrated annually on September 24 to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts for gorillas.
Cross River gorilla
The Cross River gorilla lives in the mountainous region between Nigeria and Cameroon, and it’s the most endangered ape species, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is estimated that fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas remain in the wild globally, making them the most endangered and elusive primates on Earth. Of these, an estimated 100 live in Nigeria, isolated across just three protected areas in Cross River State: Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, the Mbe Mountains, and the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park.
These gorillas were once thought to be extinct following Nigeria’s civil war in the 1960s. They were rediscovered in the 1980s when a small number were identified in Cameroon and Nigeria on the banks of the Cross River.
However, the gorillas face threats from poaching, habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, and population expansion. The illegal bushmeat trade, particularly hunting with wire snares set for bushmeat, which often injures gorillas, affects their survival as well.
“We must act now to protect each and every one of Nigeria’s last Cross River gorillas,” says Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative at Wild Africa. “The gorillas are part of our national heritage. Let us all come together to protect them, and ensure that this remarkable species continues to thrive in our country for future generations.”
While the day celebrates the global significance of these species, it also highlights a sobering reality: one of the world’s rarest great apes is nearing extinction. Protecting them is no longer a conservation goal, it is a national responsibility.
Protecting Cross River gorillas is not only about preventing extinction; it is also about preserving Nigeria’s ecological heritage and supporting long-term economic sustainability. Gorillas play a crucial role in maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. Their feeding and nesting behaviors contribute to seed dispersal and plant diversity, helping to regenerate forests.
As umbrella species, protecting them ensures the survival of many other endangered species that share their habitat. Their survival also presents a valuable opportunity for sustainable development, as gorilla-based ecotourism has the potential to generate foreign currency and support local communities.
The responsibility lies with the Nigerian government to strengthen enforcement of wildlife laws, update outdated legislation to reflect modern conservation needs, invest in habitat protection, and increase public education efforts to reduce the demand for commercial bushmeat.
While Nigeria has made legislative progress with the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill 2024, which passed its third reading in the House of Representatives and is now scheduled for consideration by the Senate, the process needs to be expedited. If passed and signed into law, this stellar legislation would enhance the country’s capacity to combat wildlife crime and reduce the degradation of critical habitats for iconic species such as the Cross River gorilla.
Individuals and communities also play an important role. Public awareness and participation in conservation campaigns are key. Reducing demand for bushmeat, supporting habitat protection, and advocating for policy changes can all contribute to the conservation of these extraordinary primates.
The consortium formed by TotalEnergies and RWE has been selected by the Ministry in charge of Industry and Energy in France as the winner of the Centre Manche 2 (AO8) offshore wind tender. The consortium will be responsible for designing, developing, building, and operating a 1.5 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm off the coast of Normandy.
Located more than 40 km off the coast of Normandy, this will be the largest renewable energy project ever developed in France. Once built, it will generate approximately 6 TWh per year and supply green electricity to the equivalent of over 1 million French households. The electricity will be sold at a competitive price of €66/MWh, as set by the tender.
The consortium will be responsible for designing, developing, building, and operating a 1.5 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm off the coast of Normandy
TotalEnergies will be the operator of the project, relying on its expertise in offshore wind and the management of large-scale marine energy projects. The company will continue the necessary studies to reach a final investment decision by early 2029. Electricity production is expected to begin in 2033, in line with RTE’s grid connection schedule.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies. said: “We are very proud to have won this tender for the construction of the largest renewable energy park in France to date. It embodies Total’s transformation into TotalEnergies in France. This project will be the largest investment made by TotalEnergies in France in decades and reflects our company’s deep commitment to our country.
“As a long-standing player in Normandy, we are determined to mobilize our expertise to ensure this project is an industrial success while securing its acceptance by the region. We will work to support the local industrial ecosystem, which has already developed skills through the first offshore wind projects currently being installed. Finally, this project strengthens our development in green electricity production to offer competitive prices to our French customers.”
As part of a strategic review of its investments, RWE has expressed the wish to exit the consortium, subject to French authorities’ approval. In any case, TotalEnergies will pursue the project, assuming all the commitments of the consortium, and will propose to bring a new partner into the project.
The project is expected to represent a €4.5 billion investment and generate significant economic benefits for the Normandy region. Up to 2,500 people will be employed during the three years of construction, and TotalEnergies has committed to offering 500,000 hours of work to apprentices and individuals in professional reintegration. TotalEnergies also plans to engage the local economic ecosystem, which has already developed expertise in offshore wind.
The project will also benefit the European industry, as TotalEnergies intends to source primarily from European suppliers, particularly for wind turbines and electrical cables.
In the coming months, a dedicated TotalEnergies team, based in Normandy, will continue the consultation work with local and regional stakeholders that began during the tender phase. It will ensure the proper integration of the project into the Normandy region, especially its coexistence with commercial fishing.
TotalEnergies will also implement crowdfunding financing that will allow local residents and authorities in the Normandy region to invest in the project and directly contribute to the energy transition of their territory. Additionally, TotalEnergies will fund a €10 million territorial fund to support initiatives in training, education, and culture in Normandy.
On environmental matters, TotalEnergies will allocate €45 million to measures aimed at avoiding, reducing, and offsetting the project’s impacts; as well as €15 million to a biodiversity promotion fund in Normandy.
TotalEnergies disclosed that it has committed to making the project exemplary in terms of recycling offshore wind farm components, with recycling, reuse, or repurposing rates of blades, towers, and nacelles equal to or greater than 95%, and 100% of generator magnets being recycled or reused.
Since 2020, while transforming its energy offer, TotalEnergies has invested more than €8 billion in France, nearly half of which has supported the energy transition of its assets and for its customers. With a renewable portfolio of 660 wind, solar, hydro, and battery storage plants, TotalEnergies meets the electricity needs of the equivalent of 1.8 million people in France, ranking among the top three renewable electricity providers in the country with over 2 GW of installed capacity. TotalEnergies supplies electricity and gas to 4.2 million residential and business customers.
Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM) has urged the Federal Government to adopt microbial solutions in tackling oil spills, waste degradation and other environmental challenges.
The group made the remark in a communique signed by its president, Prof. Saleh Ado, and issued to newsmen in Calabar on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
Oil spill
The communique was issued at the end of the 47th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society at the University of Cross River (UniCross).
The society said that microbes played critical roles in bioremediation and restoration of degraded ecosystems and could be very useful to a nation like Nigeria which is still grappling with environmental challenges.
According to them, harnessing plant microbiomes is key to developing climate-smart agriculture, improving soil fertility, and enhancing food productivity.
They advocated policies that would integrate microbial innovations into national food security strategies to boost food production.
In the food safety and pubic health sector, the society said that innovative microbial control technologies, including peptide-based methods, were vital in ensuring food safety and reducing food-borne diseases.
Speaking further, they noted that microbial bio-innovations could revolutionise Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector through the discovery of novel antibiotics, vaccines, probiotics, and microbial therapeutics.
They urged governments, industries, and research institutes to foster collaborations that translate microbial research into affordable and accessible health solutions.
The society added that industrial applications of microbes in fermentation, biofuels, waste management, and bioprocessing could boost Nigeria’s economy.
It further appealed for increased funding and private sector involvement in industrial microbiology research.
“Microbial innovations hold immense potential in healthcare delivery, agriculture, food security, environmental restoration, and industrial development.
“We call for greater investment in microbial biotechnology and entrepreneurial microbiology to promote a healthier society and sustainable economic prosperity,” they said.
UN Climate Change on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, published a summary of feedback from the consultation process on the “five-year plan” – a shared roadmap to organise and scale climate action through to 2030.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell
Developed jointly by the COP30 Presidency, the Climate High-Level Champions and UN Climate Change, the new five-year plan intends to align the efforts of governments, businesses, and communities to deliver on the Paris Agreement. By integrating a broad range of perspectives, it will be anchored in the voices and priorities of those driving climate action worldwide – a pivotal step toward a coherent, effective, and inclusive Global Climate Action Agenda.
Global Voices Shape the Agenda
The submissions invited by the Climate High-Level Champions and highlighted in the new synthesis report reflect a diverse set of 67 insights and recommendations – the most ever received for such a Champions’ call. Inputs come from both Parties and groups of Parties – representing more than 120 countries – as well as a wide range of non-Party stakeholders – businesses, cities, regions, communities, and organisations that play a vital role in advancing implementation efforts.
The inputs stress the need for accelerated and inclusive climate action – with an all-hands-on-deck approach to align voluntary initiatives with national strategies and the overarching goals of the Paris Agreement and the outcome of the first Global Stocktake.
“As this new era of implementation gathers pace, we must also keep evolving, and striving towards faster, fully inclusive, higher-quality decisions that tie the formal process ever-closer to real economies and real lives,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, in a speech at New York Climate Week on Monday, September 22, 2025.
Building on a Decade of Progress
The new five-year plan for Global Climate Action comes at a pivotal moment.
The facts show the world is aligning with the Paris Agreement. Investment in renewables has increased ten-fold in 10 years. The clean energy transition is booming across almost all major economies and hit $2 trillion last year alone. Today, over 90% of new renewables cost less than the cheapest new fossil option.
“But this boom is uneven. Its vast benefits are not shared by all,” said Stiell. “So, we need to step it up. And we need to step it up fast.”
The inputs in the summary of feedback cover the full spectrum of the climate action agenda. Some standout suggestions and common themes include the following:
Translate voluntary commitments into measurable implementation by supporting the delivery of national climate action and adaptation plans, scaling solutions, strengthening existing initiatives, and enabling systemic and sectoral transformation that delivers tangible results on the ground.
Mobilise climate finance, in particular, for adaptation and resilience and ensure equitable access for developing countries.
Strengthen delivery by establishing metrics and tracking frameworks that link non-Party stakeholder contributions to climate action and adaptation plans.
Ensure inclusive and sustained engagement by providing capacity-building, resources, and predictable channels for dialogue.
Embed equity by ensuring underrepresented groups have meaningful roles in decision-making, leadership, and resource allocation
COP30: A Unified Agenda for Scaled Solutions
The COP30 Presidency is currently working hand-in-hand with the Climate High-Level Champions and UN Climate Change on a unified Action Agenda that builds on the progress made in the last decade and streamlines and organizes it to scale the solutions the world still urgently needs.
“From small businesses to local communities, people are at the heart of climate action. The next five years must empower those at the forefront of climate action with the tools, finance, and partnerships they need to turn solutions into livelihoods and resilience,” said Nigar Arpadarai, Climate High Level Champion for COP29.
Stiell, who outlined what COP30 needs to do in his speech on Monday, said It must respond to the state of national climate plans (NDCs), to the roadmap to $1.3 trillion annually of accessible finance, deployable at speed and scale, to progress made and where acceleration is most needed.
He also said COP30 must spur faster and wider implementation, across all sectors and economies, and it must leave no-one behind. All of which not only aligns with the global climate action agenda but also helps achieve these goals.
Road to Belém: Shaping the Future Together
The five-year vision to be unveiled at COP30 is expected to be an important milestone for international climate cooperation – one that aligns voluntary initiatives with national priorities, avoids fragmentation, and accelerates the delivery of the Paris Agreement.
“The next five years must be about delivery,” concludes Dan Ioschpe, Climate High Level Champion for COP30. “By aligning what governments have already agreed with the leadership of businesses, cities and subnationals, and communities, we can turn the Global Stocktake into a blueprint for real transformation. Belém will be where we lay those foundations together.”
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism confirmed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the drowning of over 80 buffaloes in Namibia’s Chobe River following a stampede triggered by lions.
Ministerial spokesperson, Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, said the stampede occurred when lions chased a herd of buffalo from the Botswana side of the river into Namibia, in the Serondela area.
Buffaloes
The animals fell from a deep cliff into the river, with some tumbling over each other, she said.
“The ministry and other law enforcement officials are on site to maintain law and order.
“The meat will be distributed to communities in the immediate area by the ministry with the involvement of other relevant stakeholders in the region,’’ the spokesperson said.
A similar incident also occurred in 2023, which saw over 100 buffaloes die in a mass drowning following a stampede into the Chobe River.
The Chobe River flows along the northeastern border of the Chobe National Park in Botswana, which is known for its large wildlife breeding.
Nigeria’s Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), officially submitted in September 2025, represents the country’s most ambitious climate commitment to date. It is designed as a blueprint for aligning Nigeria’s development pathway with global climate goals, while integrating subnational perspectives and national development priorities.
The plan covers sector-wide strategies for emissions reduction and adaptation, with clear targets, inclusive processes, and a bold financing vision. Yet, the challenge remains whether Nigeria can turn this blueprint into lived reality.
Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal
NDC 3.0 commits Nigeria to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 29% by 2030 and 32% by 2035 relative to 2018 levels. This translates to an emissions reduction of about 184.9 million tonnes CO₂e from a 2018 baseline of 573.5 million tonnes. The plan maintains an unconditional 20% emissions reduction target by 2030, with conditional reductions (dependent on international finance and support) covering roughly 80% of the 29% (2030) and 32% (2035) targets.
Importantly, these commitments are aligned with Nigeria’s net-zero target by 2060. On energy access and transition, the NDC sets a target of achieving 100% electricity access by 2030 and ensuring that at least 50% of power generation comes from renewables by the same year. It also envisions phasing out kerosene lighting by 2035 and shifting household cooking fuels from biomass to LPG and electricity.
The NDC covers all major emitting sectors: energy (including oil and gas), transportation, industry, agriculture, forestry, and waste. Priority actions include achieving a 60% reduction in fugitive emissions (leaks and venting) from the oil and gas sector, accelerating adoption of electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, expanding both on-grid and off-grid renewable energy, cutting deforestation while promoting sustainable forestry and ecosystem restoration, and advancing climate-smart agriculture to build resilience for farmers already facing droughts, floods, and soil degradation. These goals signal a push to decarbonise while also addressing food security, livelihoods, and resilience.
A defining feature of NDC 3.0 is its emphasis on subnational engagement. States, local governments, and communities were consulted in its design, and the framework envisions governors, state ministries, and local actors as key implementers. This reflects a growing recognition that climate action and resilience-building happen most directly at subnational levels, where floods, droughts, and insecurity impact lives daily.
Nigeria estimates that implementing NDC 3.0 will require $337 billion between now and the mid-2030s – $195 billion for mitigation and $141.5 billion for adaptation. The latter includes infrastructure resilience, food security, and loss and damage measures. The document assumes that concessional international finance, blended instruments to crowd in private capital, and stronger domestic institutions will make this scale of financing possible. Yet, experience suggests that securing and deploying such funds remains a daunting challenge. Domestic budgets cannot cover the gap, and donor flows are becoming more uncertain.
Multilateral funds exist but remain highly competitive, and Nigeria’s past struggles with transparency and project readiness continue to deter large-scale access. The National Climate Change Fund offers a potential domestic mechanism, but it is undercapitalised. Without bankable projects, robust monitoring and reporting, and guarantees against political and security risks, private capital is unlikely to flow at the necessary scale.
Beyond finance, security may be the single biggest factor undermining NDC delivery. Banditry, insurgency, oil theft, and communal clashes directly affect climate projects – delaying renewable rollouts, displacing farmers, and deterring investment. Unless security is treated as part of climate infrastructure, project implementation will remain fragile.
At the same time, Nigeria’s extractive dependence continues to cast a long shadow. While oil and gas are framed as “transition fuels,” the lure of revenues from new fossil projects, alongside a rising boom in solid minerals such as gold and lithium, risks locking Nigeria into another extractive cycle.
Without strong governance and environmental safeguards, these sectors could undermine climate goals. Politically, the landscape remains volatile. Elections are approaching, campaigns are already absorbing policymaker attention, and fossil fuel lobbies remain influential. Climate goals risk being subordinated to short-term bargains. Without insulation from electoral cycles, sustaining the long-term planning required for NDC delivery will be difficult.
In an optimistic scenario, Nigeria could mobilise blended finance, improve security in key corridors, accelerate distributed renewables, and scale up climate-smart agriculture. This would not deliver every headline target, but it could produce significant progress by 2030. More likely is a mixed scenario: pockets of success in states with strong leadership or donor support, but limited national-scale impact. The pessimistic scenario – shrinking finance, worsening insecurity, and unchecked extractives – remains equally plausible.
Can Nigeria achieve its net-zero target by 2060? The answer depends on how the next decade is navigated. If NDC 3.0 drives genuine structural change; mobilising finance, mainstreaming renewables, transforming agriculture, regulating extractives, and integrating security into climate planning, then the 2060 goal remains possible. However, if the implementation gaps that plague previous commitments persist, net-zero will remain aspirational.
The stakes are enormous: resilience for millions of citizens, credibility on the global stage, and the ability to prove that African nations can lead in defining just, inclusive climate pathways. If finance is mobilised, security integrated, extractives governed, and politics stabilised, NDC 3.0 could mark a turning point. If not, it risks joining the list of climate plans that read well on paper but fail in practice.
By Donald Ikenna Ofoegbu, Programme Manager, Sustainable Nigeria Programme, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Abuja
US President, Donald Trump, lambasted the United Nations and countries around the world during a nearly hour-long speech on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the UN General Assembly.
Trump admonished the UN over what he views as its ineffectiveness. He said some countries “are going to hell” over their immigration policies.
US President Donald Trump addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly
And he blasted climate change measures and what he called the “green energy scam”, claiming renewable energy sources like solar and wind are more expensive than fossil fuel energy.
On the contrary, renewables have driven down the cost of electricity in the US.
Trump touched on everything from Barack Obama’s carbon footprint to his own failed bid years ago to renovate the UN’s headquarters. He mocked wind energy, praised “clean, beautiful coal,” and suggested that environmentalists “want to kill all the cows.”
The president criticised Europe’s high energy prices and what he called an obsession with climate change and green energy. “We stand ready to provide any country with abundant, affordable energy supplies if you need them – and most of you do,” he said, offering US coal and fossil fuels as alternatives.
Responding to Donald Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly, climate activists called the U.S. president’s push for fossil fuel expansion and climate denial a thinly veiled threat to global peace, progress, and survival.
Namrata Chowdhary, Head of Public Engagement at 350.org, said: “UN Secretary-General António Guterres gave us fair warning earlier today, that we have ‘entered an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering’. As he said, ‘The pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference.’
“His warning was only emphasised by the erratic speech given by Donald Trump: Reckless. Disruptive. Indifferent. And mocking with impunity the relentless suffering around the world, in a speech hard to distinguish from reality TV of the worst kind.
“Fact-checkers will be kept busy unravelling the many loosely linked threads in that latest missive, but the choice ahead is clear. If we want to protect the planet, world leaders must commit to phasing out fossil fuels, and scale up investment in clean, renewable energy that delivers justice and resilience for all.”
Trump’s remarks, which appeared to downplay the urgency of climate action and pushed for expanded fossil fuel investment, come as the world continues to experience record-breaking heat, fires, and floods. At the upcoming UN Climate Summit, world leaders face a stark choice: stand with people and the planet, or with the fossil fuel industry.
On Saturday, more than 600 actions across 87 countries called for world leaders to draw the line on fossil fuels, while in New York, over 25,000 people marched to demand a tax on extreme wealth.
JL Andrepont, US Senior Policy Analyst at 350.org, said: “Trump knows he’s lying, and most Americans know it too. This stream of lies is part of the same fossil-fueled billionaire agenda that got tens of thousands into the NYC streets this weekend, calling for climate justice. The leader of the world’s top polluting country is trying to tell the people – from our Pacific family members to the climate-and conflict-displaced peoples he’s deporting – that their lived reality is not real. But there are far more of us calling for human rights than there are of him and his cronies.
“We refuse to be pawns in Trump’s unjust quest to pad the pockets of billionaires like him. It’s time to draw the line and make billionaires in and out of government pay for the damage they’ve caused and fund the needs of the people.”
The group is calling on governments to commit to phasing out fossil fuels and scale up investment in clean, renewable energy that delivers justice and resilience for all.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) says the conservation of crops at gene bank and research conduction are vital to addressing food security challenges in Africa and globally.
Dr Olaniyi Oyatomi, an Associate Scientist and Seedbank Manager at IITA’s Genetic Resource Centre, said this at a media training on Gene bank, Genetic Resources and Bioscience organised by IITA on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, in badan, Oyo State.
IITA, Ibadan
Oyatomi said crop conservation and research would help in regeneration and development of improved crop varieties that were pest and disease resistance and adaptable to changing climatic and environmental conditions.
According to him, without conservation of seeds at the gene bank and research there will be no improve seed to develop for future utilisation for breeders to breed improved varieties.
The scientist said the old seed planted by farmers was gradually degenerating and needed to be improved upon to be able to adapt to changing climatic conditions and pests and diseases resistance.
“At IITA gene bank, we have different crops like cowpea, yam, cassava ,plantain and banana collected from different Africa countries and the world, which we conserved and improved on its varieties.
“We have the largest collection of cowpea accessions which is around 16,000 in IITA gene bank.
“Gene bank plays a significant role in short, long term crops preservation, quality retention, prevent degeneration for present and future generations and continuous supply to breeders to use and ensure food security,” Oyatomi said.
He said the institute had enough materials and resources to get improved crop varieties, that were adaptable to different climatic conditions, noting that without crop improvement there could not be food security.
According to him, seed security is recipe for food security, if there are no secure seeds, pests and diseases as well as climate change would affect them and this will lead to food security challenges.
He said that seeds collection and preservation served as an opportunity for breeders to use for breeding new varieties that are high yielding which would be supply to farmer to plant to ensure food sufficiency.
Oyatomi said that the institute had been receiving a lot of request from breeders in Africa and different parts of the world and to use those improved crop varieties for breeding high yielding crops.
He called on government to invest in research, especially in breeding new crop varieties in order to overcome food security challenges in Africa and the world generally.
Also speaking, Dr Yemi Fajire, Laboratory Manager, Bioscience, IITA, said challenges facing agriculture could be mitigated through science innovations in order to meet global food demands.
Fajire said that adoption of technology would make breeding easier and shorten the length of time to develop new varieties that were high yielding and crop improvement.
Journalists were later taken round for field and laboratory visits.
The training is to equip media professionals with the knowledge to report agricultural innovation accurately, especially in the area of crop improvement.
