Nigeria’s total public debt was estimated to be N144.67 trillion as of the fourth quarter of 2024, a figure that many experts blamed for preventing governments at both the national and sub-national levels from investing in critical climate infrastructure and demanding accountability in borrowing practices to address the issue.
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at an event hosted by the Centre for Inclusive Social Development (CISD) in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF) in Abuja, the stakeholders bemoaned the fact that persistent borrowing puts government instruments at risk.
They contended that, even in cases where governments must borrow, these funds should only be used to finance revenue-generating, self-liquidating, and vital infrastructure projects with clearly defined economic returns.
Participants at the launch of the Mapping Nigeria’s Debt Landscape: A Burden on Youth, Climate Change & National Development report in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
“The true cost of debts is the out-of-school child, the out-of-school girl, and that woman who has to do business and loses her life because of lack of access to basic maternal health care,” Folahan Johnson, the Executive Director of CISD, said.
Johnson evoked empathy during his speech on the event’s theme, “Youth, Climate Change, and Nigeria’s Development Crisis”, when he described the participants as elites, who represent hope for vulnerable climate victims.
He claims that the burden of debt acts as a deferred tax on women and young people, especially girls who have a higher school dropout rate because of rising costs or a lack of basic amenities. It also restricts the government’s ability to create an environment that is conducive to the growth of the private sector, denying the youth access to good jobs and limiting their long-term economic prospects.
In a similar vein, HBF’s Programme Manager, Donald Ofoegbu, highlights the significance of addressing the country’s debt situation and stresses the repercussions for those who are most at risk if the necessary action is not taken.
Ofoegbu went on to decry the high interest rate on debt and the lack of accountability and called on citizens to demand transparency in the management of public finances.
He linked the debt issue to climate disasters like the floods that affected more than 33 states across Nigeria some years back and destroyed vital national infrastructures worth over $9.12 billion.
“Nobody is coming to save Nigeria except us. This is where we belong. This is our home. And we’re going to fix Nigeria by repair or whatever means,” he stated.
Mr. Joseph Amenaghawon, BudgIT’s Acting Country Director, complained that borrowing was not translating into development.
“The result is debt without development, leading to a cycle where the burden grows but the benefits do not,” he asserts.
According to him, loans were being used for recurrent spending rather than transformative projects, thereby excluding the role of youngsters in the climate dialogue.
“Borrowing should build infrastructures at rising rates, systems of high use, climate-resilient communities, and a diversified and productive economy,” he noted.
The development expert submitted that a generation borrowed but did not invest, and for every loan that remains unaccounted for, a potential generation of youth is left behind.
Some of the major highlights of the event include two panel sessions and the release of a report on “Mapping Nigeria’s Debt Landscape: A Burden on Youth, Climate Change & National Development”.
The report proposed as the way forward that addressing the crisis requires immediate, decisive action in enforcing strict fiscal discipline and implementing aggressive and efficient revenue mobilisation, as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in borrowing practices.
Nigeria has taken a major step towards strengthening its electronic waste governance system with the formation of the Nigeria E-Waste Sounding Board, inaugurated during a two-day stakeholder workshop on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCOPE) held in Lagos from December 10 to 11, 2025.
The Stakeholders’ Workshop on E-Waste and Textile Waste in Nigeria, organised by the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC), Environment for Development (EfD) Nigeria, brought together government agencies, academics, private-sector actors, civil society groups, and representatives of the informal recycling sector to co-create solutions to the country’s rapidly escalating e-waste challenge.
Participants at the Stakeholders’ Workshop on E-Waste and Textile Waste in Nigeria organised in Lagos
The Sounding Board, formally initiated during the opening session, is designed as a multi-stakeholder advisory platform to guide evidence-based research, validate national e-waste data needs, and strengthen coordination among actors. It will also support the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems and promote inclusive governance by formally engaging the informal sector – one of the most active yet least integrated components of Nigeria’s e-waste economy.
Highlighting the significance of the Sounding Board, Dr. Ifeoma Anugwa of REPRC/EfD Nigeria explained that the platform would serve as a bridge between research, policy, and practice, ensuring continuous collaboration long after the workshop.
Structured around five pillars – government, academia, private sector, informal recyclers, and civil society/development partners – the Board will meet twice annually, supported by quarterly virtual updates and thematic working groups on key issues such as EPR compliance, health and environmental risks, and digital monitoring of waste flows. EfD Nigeria will serve as the interim secretariat, coordinating meetings, documentation, research-policy matchmaking, and stakeholder communication.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Professor Nnaemeka Chukwuone, Director of REPRC/EfD Nigeria, emphasised that the initiative is rooted in finding local, context-specific solutions.
“The workshop is not just about making policy – it is about local solutions,” he said, noting that Nigeria’s e-waste problem is embedded in everyday economic activities, from informal pickers at dumpsites to traders at Ikeja Computer Village, making it essential to bring all actors into the same conversation.
He described the Sounding Board as a “sandbox” for co-creation, where producers, recyclers, regulators, waste pickers, and researchers can jointly interrogate evidence, evaluate ongoing research, and develop implementable solutions that will inform national policy.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to producing research that meaningfully informs policy and industry practice. He warned that Nigeria is facing an unprecedented surge in electronic consumption and fast fashion, both of which are generating waste streams that pose growing environmental and public health risks.
Professor Ortuanya stressed that sound science, strong institutions, and inclusive governance are essential for tackling these challenges. He emphasised that the SCOPE workshop serves a triple purpose: introducing a new research project on e-waste and textile waste, assessing Nigeria’s policy and data gaps, and establishing a multi-stakeholder mechanism – the newly inaugurated Sounding Board – to guide future engagement.
Participants at the workshop reached consensus on key operational decisions, including membership composition, meeting schedules, and EfD Nigeria’s role as secretariat. The Sounding Board is expected to produce an annual Nigeria E-Waste Policy Evidence Report, priority research agendas, and policy briefs on issues such as EPR strengthening, informal-sector integration, and environmental safeguards.
As Nigeria seeks to align its waste governance framework with regional and global circular-economy agendas, the formation of the E-Waste Sounding Board signals a significant shift toward more coordinated, inclusive, and evidence-driven action.
The UK Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh, on Wednesday December 9, 2025, met in Nairobi with CEOs from the African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA) to discuss progress to date and set priorities for 2026, with a particular emphasis on expanding private-sector investment in nature.
The discussions focused on the role of private capital in efforts to protect and restore Africa’s biodiversity and how innovative financing solutions can help close the global $700 billion a year gap in the investment needed to halt and reverse nature loss.
UK Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh, meets with ANCA Governing Council members Arthur Oginga (Old Mutual Holdings), Eliane Ubalijoro (CIFOR-ICRAF) and Kaddu Sebunya (AWF) alongside CEOs from ICEA Lion, KBA, Fidelity Shield and KCB
Earlier in the day, the Minister visited an EarthAcre site in the Athi/Kapiti Corridor to see how its technology enables measurable conservation outcomes and direct payments to local landowners.
ANCA Governing Council members Arthur Oginga, Eliane Ubalijoro and Kaddu Sebunya, together with CEOs from the finance and insurance sectors, shared updates on new approaches to nature finance and the increasing uptake of nature-related disclosure across African institutions.
Taking place alongside the UN Environment Assembly, the meeting underscored the rising momentum behind nature-focused investment on the continent.
The Minister’s visit to the EarthAcre Athi/Kapiti Corridor also explored how local partners are developing community-led conservation and land-management approaches.
Afreximbank has highlighted the critical importance of factoring and supply chain finance (SCF) in narrowing Africa’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) financing gap and building resilient value chains across the continent.
Speaking at Afreximbank’s annual Factoring Workshop in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development (IAED) at Afreximbank and Member of the FCI Executive Committee, noted that although Africa’s factoring volumes have more than doubled in recent years, increasing from €21.6 billion in 2017 to €50 billion in 2024, and with nearly 200 factoring companies now operating across the continent, current activity still remains significantly below Africa’s transformative potential.
Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank
She said: “Although SMEs account for more than 90% of Africa’s businesses and over 60% of employment and GDP, they continue to face a financing gap estimated at US$300 billion annually.
“To catalyse SME-led growth, Africa must scale factoring volumes to at least €240 billion, equivalent to about 10% of the continent’s GDP. Achieving this will require increased financing, deeper legal reforms, expanded training and strong industry partnerships.”
Also speaking at the workshop, Mr. Neal Harm, Secretary General of FCI, said that factoring and supply chain finance are critical to unlocking SME growth in Africa, calling for practical solutions, strong partnerships, and collaborative action to turn the day’s discussions into tomorrow’s transactions.
Representing Dr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, Governor of the Central Bank of West Afircan States (BCEAO), Mr. Charlie Dingui, Special Advisor to the National Director stressed the importance of SME financing for driving socio-economic development across UEMOA member states.
“By enabling businesses to convert their accounts receivable into immediate liquidity, factoring improves cash flow and stimulates growth, particularly in environments marked by long payment delays and collection challenges,” said Mr. Dingui.
Côte d’Ivoire presents a significant opportunity to boost economic development by expanding its factoring market. The country’s factoring and supply chain finance sector is estimated to have a potential of $5 billion, a notable prospect in an economy where the cocoa sector alone supports millions of livelihoods.
Yet only 12% of SMEs currently seek working capital from formal financial institutions, relying instead on informal sources largely due to high financing costs, perceived SME risk, strict loan requirements, and slow approval processes.
The annual Factoring workshop is part of Afreximbank and FCI’s long-standing commitment to expanding awareness and strengthening technical expertise on factoring and supply chain finance, key enablers essential to advancing the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To date, more than 5,000 delegates have been trained through over 25 capacity-building initiatives. Training is available through the Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (COTFIA), the Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD), FCI’s online and bespoke factoring training programmes, and the FCI Mentoring Programme.
Beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient tree in his abode in the Wurno area of Sokoto, Mallam Aliyu Hassan drifts into memories of a time when donkeys were cherished and honoured.
“My father and grandfather relied on donkeys just as I do now. They weren’t just animals; they were part of our family, part of our survival.”
He recalled the day they acquired their first donkey, how it carried their harvest, fetched water, and kept their farm thriving. These gentle creatures once roamed freely, their brays echoing through the village, weaving a rhythm into the fabric of daily life.
At the Illela border market, donkeys await their fate, soon to be herded into waiting vehicles for the next leg of their journey
Disappearing Donkeys
“But everything has changed,” lamented Mr Aliyu, his voice thick with nostalgia. “Now I hear stories of donkeys vanishing overnight, taken by traders. Each day, there are fewer. It pains me to see something so dear slipping away from our lives.”
Aisha Usman, a 60-year-old resident of Wurno, also reminisced about the days when donkeys hauled water from wells or carried stones and sand in town. She remembered how they were once decorated and paraded during traditional festivities, especially during Sallah and turbaning ceremonies.
“These days, it’s rare to see donkeys in those events,” she said.
A Rapid Decline: The Numbers and Causes
Over the last decade, Sokoto’s donkey population has fallen sharply, threatening both livelihoods and cultural practices.
According to the Director of Livestock Services in Sokoto state, Abubakar Muhammad Maidawa, the numbers have dropped from more than 250,000 donkeys to about 45,000 today. “It’s a significant decline,” he said.
Despite the Nigerian government’s ban on the trade in donkey parts under its export prohibition policy, the illicit market continues to grow. The ban was meant to reduce demand for donkey hides, which are valued for their use in traditional medicine, but it has done little to stop the illegal flow into international markets.
Donkey hides, meat, and internal organs remain in high demand. Traders sell them to middlemen who then move them to countries like China, where they are used in the production of traditional medicinal products. This ongoing trade is driving the decline of Nigeria’s donkey population and raising serious animal welfare concerns, with many animals being subjected to inhumane treatment and slaughter.
The recent arrests and interception of large consignments of donkey parts across Nigeria in the past few months also indicate that the illegal trade is still very much in existence.
In the last four months, there have been several major arrests across the country. On October 15, 2025, the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service announced that its operatives intercepted 64 complete donkey skins, valued at N112.59 million, being smuggled to China through the Republic of Cameroon. In July 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted a container-load of 10,603 male donkey genitals along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway. In June, the Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, FOU Zone C, Owerri, intercepted 13.6kg of dry donkey skin worth N3.6 billion in Owerri, Imo State.
Also, between April 17 and May 17, 2024, the Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Kaduna, comprising units in Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kebbi. Niger, Kogi. Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory intercepted two consignments of donkey meat and bones, valued at N3 billion. One of the consignments was a truck with 750 sacks of donkey bones intercepted along Sokoto-Gusau road, while the other included two Canter trucks carrying dried donkey meat along Kontagora -Tegina Road in Niger State.
Fading Footprints: The Multifaceted Pressures Threatening Species
The Zonal Veterinary Officer for Sokoto Central District, Dr Bello Lawal Yahya, noted that a variety of factors are at play. Human activities and ecological changes intertwine to diminish donkey numbers. Market pressure, including illegal trade and the exploitation of donkeys for hides and meat, takes a toll. Husbandry issues, such as inadequate nutrition and poor breeding practices, hinder the regeneration of the donkey population.
Urbanisation reduces traditional donkey habitats, pushing them out of cultural practices and accelerating their decline.
“Biodiversity is dwindling as urbanisation spreads, making donkeys increasingly rare and leaving cultural practices that once relied on them to fade,” he observed.
“Festivities where donkeys were decorated are now scarcely observed, symbolising a broader decline as civilisation reduces their traditional importance.”
Expounding on diet, the vet doctor stressed how nutrition influences breeding. “Many local donkey owners in the state do not provide their donkeys with adequate care. This lack results in delayed reproductive cycles. Time stretches between foals, largely due to poor nutrition.”
Dr Yahya highlighted that nutritional imbalances cause donkeys to grow slowly and develop health problems. He explicitly stated that inadequate nutrition leads to wasting and common digestive issues like colic, which can eventually result in death.
Dr Yahya also noted that donkeys are exposed to stress and discomfort. He explained, “Donkeys often travel very long distances before accessing water, and at times, may go one or two days without any food provided by their owners. So that also causes a lot of discomfort to them.”
Dr Yahya explained that donkeys should have the freedom to exhibit their natural behaviour; unfortunately, they do not, and should be free from stress, but are instead exposed to a range of different stresses. That alone could cause many problems for the donkey population.”
Reliance on imported donkeys, challenges to Indigenous breeds
Support for local breeds is minimal. Many donkeys are imported rather than bred locally. This raises concerns about the potential loss of indigenous genetic lines. Concerns about genetic diversity and local breed conservation arise from reliance on imported donkeys from Niger, Mali, and other countries. When communities over-depend on external sources, indigenous breed development is stifled, and they become vulnerable to market fluctuations and border restrictions.
Trade at the Illela International Market in Illela local government area of Sokoto State, neighbouring Niger Republic, shows this shift. Traders now source donkeys from neighbouring countries. In these countries, breeding is active and supported by both governments and communities.
“We get donkeys mostly from the Niger Republic, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Libya, and other countries. There is minimal stock in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states,” disclosed Abubakar Hassan Zoromawa, Chairman of the Donkey and Horse traders’ union in Illela International Market. The market supplies nearby local markets, including Achida, Bodinga, Gudu, and Goronyo.
Mr Zoronmawa, with three decades of experience, noted that people in the Niger Republic still rely on donkeys for transportation. Many Nigerians, however, have switched to motorcycles and vehicles.
He observed that in the Niger Republic and Mali, many, including women, actively breed donkeys. Influential people and governments there invest in the trade. In Nigeria, however, such support is rare.
The Ripple Effects: Cultural, Ecological, and Economic
The decline threatens more than just the animals. “Relying too much on imported donkeys has consequences. It stifles local breeding and harms communities’ lasting livelihoods,” said Conservation Advocate Abubakar Siddiq.
“Unchecked trade and shrinking habitats could cause trouble. Native species and local ecosystem balance are at risk.”
He also warned that imported animals may carry diseases. “These can affect local populations. Protecting local biodiversity needs careful management of imports and support for local breeds. This helps maintain balance and cultural heritage.”
Heritage Revival: Rejuvenating Indigenous Breeds
Efforts to conserve and improve indigenous breeds include government initiatives, such as artificial insemination and cross-breeding programmes. Additionally, the state government plans to protect the local donkey breed while supporting donkey-based businesses, including milk production, tourism, and transportation. By empowering local communities, it aimed to develop pastures for donkeys, ensure a steady supply of feed, and make veterinary care more accessible and affordable.
However, Dr Yahya urged greater research, increased community education, and strong enforcement of animal protection policies as necessary steps to prevent donkey extinction.
He underscored the urgent need for strict enforcement of animal protection laws to halt the decline of donkeys. He warned that waiting puts vital species at risk, as with vultures, which nearly vanished before people recognised their ecological role.
“If we do not act now to improve our protection and care for donkeys, we will only realise our mistake when they are gone,” Dr Yahya cautioned. “We must take decisive steps today and avoid repeating the regret we feel with vultures. Let’s not wait until it is too late, act now to protect donkeys for future generations.”
By Rakiya Muhammad
This story was produced as part of Dataphyte Foundation’s Biodiversity Media Initiative project, with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network
When the UN General Assembly officially proclaimed the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls, it did so in recognition of centuries of their resistance, leadership, and resilience.
The legacy of Bartolina Sisa – an Aymara leader executed in 1782 for her brave resistance against Spanish colonisation – is at the heart of the newly internationalised commemoration for Indigenous women and girls, officially recognised on September 5. This recognition of her legacy, and the sacrifices of countless other women who fearlessly advocated for their rights, arrives at a particularly powerful moment, as it coincides with two major milestones in the modern struggle for Indigenous women’s rights: the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declarationon Indigenous Women, commemorated at CSW69 in New York, and the 25th anniversary of the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (IIWF), celebrated in Lima in June 2025.
Indigenous women
Thirty years ago, at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, Indigenous leaders like Tarcila Rivera-Zea from Peru, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz from the Philippines, Joan Carling from the Philippines and Lucy Mulenkei from Kenya successfully brought their voices to the global gender agenda.
“Being a woman and being Indigenous are not two separate identities: they are a whole that gives us the strength and vision to transform our communities,” recalls Tauli-Corpuz, whose defense of her people’s rights has led her to face threats, persecution, and attacks.
Five years after Beijing, alongside other women leaders, she founded FIMI, which today connects networks of Indigenous women across seven continents, strengthening capacities, political advocacy, and economic autonomy. Since then, women from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Pacific, and the Arctic have converged in this “global house of Indigenous women” to defend cultural, territorial, and human rights.
Lives that Embody the Struggle
Tarcila Rivera-Zearemembers her childhood in the Peruvian Andes: a girl who grew up in extreme poverty, without access to education in her mother tongue, and who found in reading and writing a gateway to transform her life and that of her community. Today, at 74, she continues to build networks and opportunities for Indigenous women worldwide.
In the Philippines, Joan Carlinghas dedicated over three decades to protecting Indigenous communities, halting extractive projects, and resisting the marginalisation of her peoples, often risking her own life. She has been unjustly detained, falsely accused of terrorism, and threatened with death, yet she has succeeded in stopping destructive mining projects and ensuring that Indigenous women have a voice in international forums.
In Kenya, Lucy Mulenkei, a Maasai woman and journalist, has elevated environmental defense and female participation to a regional level, co-founding the Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network and consolidating environmental governance networks in East Africa. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards for environmental leadership and the defense of pastoralist women’s rights.
From Guatemala, Teresa Zapetabegan as her mother’s secretary in her Chatino village, learning to write to record her mother’s leadership decisions. Today, she leads FIMI globally, coordinating networks, funds, and programs to strengthen female leadership in the face of violence, territorial dispossession, and the climate crisis.
“Territorial dispossession and violence are a daily reality, but our response is not passivity; it is action. Every network, every fund we coordinate is designed to strengthen female leadership because it is in the territory where real solutions to the climate crisis are born,” states Zapeta.
These stories intertwine: women who started in different corners of the world and who, despite inequality, discrimination, and personal risks, have built a global movement that highlights the intersection of gender, Indigenous identity, and territorial rights.
Contemporary Challenges: Structural Violence, Dispossession, and the Triple Planetary Crisis
The UN’s recognition comes in a context of existential crisis, as Indigenous women continue to face existential threats related to climate change,environmental degradation, and biodiversityloss, as well as obstacles to obtaining access to food and water security. The root of these problems is intersectional discrimination, which is structural and embedded in laws and policies, affecting women based on their sex, gender, ethnicity, disability, and age.
The violent dispossession of territories, militarisation, and the criminalisation of environmental defenders are realities affecting millions of Indigenous women. These violations are often linked to extractive activities like mining and logging, which have a devastating impact on the environment, land, and waterways. In fact, sexual violence is used as a tool of warin conflict areas, and mining or logging operations increase the risk of human trafficking.
Zapeta underscores: “We are building networks of collective care and international solidarity to protect ourselves, but the majority remains unprotected.”
The UN’s recognition not only honors historical figures like Bartolina Sisa but also those who today lead struggles for climate justice, territorial protection, and human rights.
“This recognition validates decades of effort and opens a window for the world to listen to and respect our voices,” says Rivera-Zea.
Three decades after Beijing and 25 years since FIMI’s founding, these stories show that Indigenous women not only defend their territories and cultures but also inspire global solutions for social and environmental justice, reminding the world that their resistance is, at once, their strength and their legacy.
The Association for Environmental Impact Assessment of Nigeria (AEIAN) has called for the harmonisation and digitisation of the country’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system to support sustainable national development.
President of the association, Dr Abbas Suleiman, made the submission while addressing participants at its 2025 Annual National Conference (nineth edition) and Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, December 10, in Lagos.
The event had the theme: “Institutional Strengthening of Impact Assessment Policies and Regulations in Nigeria.”
Dignitaries at the Annual Conference and Meeting of the Association for Environmental Impact Assessment of Nigeria (AEIAN)
Suleiman said Nigeria’s rapid expansion in infrastructure, industrial zones, energy, agribusiness and transport projects had increased pressure on ecosystems, making institutional reforms in EIA administration a national priority.
According to him, EIA remains the critical instrument that ensures development and does not compromise environmental integrity.
“For EIA to be effective, institutions must be strong, mandates must be clear, processes must be transparent, and professionals must be equipped,” he said.
He said that Nigeria had made progress with sectoral regulations, stronger agencies and improved public awareness, but still faced gaps that weakened environmental governance, 32 years after the enactment of the EIA Act.
He listed the lingering challenges as overlapping and conflicting mandates among regulators, bureaucratic delays, weak post-EIA monitoring, inadequate equipment and data systems.
Others, he said, were limited capacity in emerging areas such as climate risk assessment, cumulative impact assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment, and biodiversity offsets.
Suleiman also listed poor community engagement, fragmented databases and inconsistent information flow between institutions as some of the challenges.
“These institutional challenges are not failures but opportunities for reform,” he said.
Suleiman outlined key reforms required to strengthen the national EIA system, as legislative updates to the EIA Act, policy harmonisation among regulators, a unified project screening system and clearer guidelines for inter-agency collaboration.
He said Nigeria must fully digitise its impact assessment process through a central online platform that would host project registration, public disclosures, review timelines, decision tracking, and compliance monitoring.
He added that professionalism in the sector needed to be enhanced through certification pathways, updated technical guidelines, national training modules and continuous professional development for practitioners.
“EIA approval should not be the end of the process. It is only the beginning.
“Stronger monitoring, better laboratories, drone and satellite-based surveillance and community-driven reporting must be prioritised,” he said.
He stressed the need to integrate climate change, public health, gender inclusion, human rights safeguards and nature-based solutions into modern environmental assessments.
He said AEIAN would continue to support government and partner with ministries, regulatory agencies, universities, development partners and the private sector to improve environmental governance in the country.
He urged regulators, consultants, academics, industry players, communities and government to work together to strengthen EIA implementation and ensure environmental safeguards remain central to Nigeria’s development priorities.
“Let us move from paper compliance to real environmental outcomes, and from fragmentation to institutional strength,” he said.
The conference also featured the inauguration of AEIAN’s Lifetime Achievement Awards to honour pioneers of EIA practice in Nigeria.
The recipients included Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, Ms Anne Ene-Ita, Emeritus Prof. Babatunde Alo, Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, and Asiwaju Anthony Ojeshina.
Other awards were presented to key contributors to AEIAN’s growth, including Prof. Bode Gbenle, Dr Banji Adekoya, Dr Ahmed Sanda, Prof. Ijeoma Vincent-Akpu, Dr John Alonge, Mrs. Bolanle Bolorunduro, and Mrs. Rofikat Odetoro, current Director of EIA at the Federal Ministry of Environment.
As the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has decried the deteriorating state of human-rights protection in Nigeria, blaming systemic governance failures for depriving many Nigerians of the dignity, security, and rights to which they are entitled by virtue of their humanity and citizenship.
In a statement to mark the day, CAPPA observed that state neglect and abuse of power, impunity among law-enforcement agencies, widespread insecurity, and mounting socio-economic pressures continue to diminish countless lives, leaving survivors with unhealed wounds, eroded rights, and a widening gap between the freedoms politically promised and the harsh realities on ground.
Human Rights
The organisation urged authorities at all levels to end impunity for security-force abuses; protect journalists, activists and human-rights defenders; prioritise the security of all citizens; address the social and economic conditions driving mass suffering; strengthen national institutions; and foster a genuine national culture of care and human rights.
“2025 has been a year of grim reminders,” the statement reads. “From the 570 killings and 278 kidnappings reported across the country in April alone, to the 275,256 human-rights abuse complaints recorded in May by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigerians continue to endure levels of violence, deprivation and state neglect that are incompatible with any notion of a rights-respecting society.”
CAPPA spotlighted persistent grave and systemic rights violations, including abuses of women’s and girls’ rights, and mass abductions, as the state repeatedly fails to prevent targeted attacks on communities, schools and vulnerable populations.
According to the statement, citizens across the federation are confronted with overlapping crises with civil and political rights under attack, social and economic rights in free fall, and escalating insecurity and communal violence: Peaceful protesters still risk lethal force and arbitrary arrests, with no accountability for the at least 24 unarmed citizens killed during the 2024 #EndBadGovernance demonstrations, abuses that still cast a long shadow in 2025. Journalists and media workers remain targets of intimidation, harassment, and detention, CAPPA said, with about 69 attacks on journalists this year alone, 74 per cent perpetrated by state actors, according to a 2025 Media Rights Agenda (MRA) report.
“When those charged with protecting rights become their violators, democracy itself is endangered,” the statement added.
It underscored that millions continue to struggle without access to essentials – safe water, decent housing, adequate healthcare, and secure livelihoods, and that rising inflation, unsafe communities, and the absence of social protection have left families vulnerable and desperate. CAPPA described these as not just economic problems, but urgent human-rights emergencies.
The organisation called on the Federal Government and all duty-bearers to take decisive steps to “reverse the dangerous trajectory of rights violations and emergencies in Nigeria.”
It emphasised that International Human Rights Day is a moment to take stock of how far the country has drifted from the basic guarantees it owes its people. The statement said that Nigeria cannot continue on a path where violence is normalised, institutions fail without consequence, and citizens are left to navigate insecurity and deprivation with little protection from the state.
“People have the right to safety, justice and dignity,” the organisation said.
“These are obligations the Nigerian state must meet. A credible response requires honesty about what is broken and a renewed commitment to rebuilding systems that restore them.”
CAPPA added that progress will depend on steady and practical reforms that safeguard civic freedoms, strengthen oversight of security agencies, improve the capacity of human-rights institutions, and address the social conditions that make communities vulnerable.
The statement concluded by encouraging government, civil society and partners across sectors to pursue practical solutions that rebuild trust, close protection gaps and empower Nigerians to live without fear, deprivation or uncertainty.
Digital Peers International (DPI), an NGO, has unveiled phase two of its environmental initiative to engage tech-driven youths in effective plastic use and waste management in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State.
The second phase, titled “Deploying the Power of IT-Engaged Youths in Effective Plastic Use and Plastic Waste Management 2.0,” was unveiled at a press conference on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, in Abuja.
The initiative is supported by the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Officials of Digital Peers International (DPI) at the media briefing in Abuja
DPI CEO, Dr Ibukun Odusote, said the project equipped youths with skills and opportunities to combat plastic pollution and foster innovations that transformed communities.
She noted that the initiative addressed Nigeria’s growing plastic waste crisis through youth leadership, digital innovation, and community-driven environmental action.
“From clogged drainage systems that cause flooding to degraded farmlands, contaminated waterways, and microplastics threatening human health, the impact of plastic waste is felt in our homes, schools, markets, and ecosystems.
“Plastic waste is no longer just an environmental problem; it is a social, economic, and public health challenge,” Odusote said.
She highlighted that phase one, implemented in 2023, generated ICT-driven solutions for waste monitoring, school and community recycling, and enhanced environmental awareness.
“Phase two is designed to deepen youth participation, expand community impact, and strengthen local solutions.
“The project adopts a team approach, requiring self-formed groups of four youths aged 15 to 30.
“This promotes collaboration, creativity, and peer motivation, qualities essential for addressing environmental challenges,” she said.
Odusote explained that the teams would compete for cash prizes, with the top group receiving N2 million, while runners-up will earn N1.6 million, N1.2 million, N800,000, and N400,000 respectively.
“Beyond financial rewards, the best ideas will receive incubation support, tools, mentorship, and opportunities to develop into viable eco-startups within the plastic value chain.”
She added that the project included a social media component encouraging youths to produce 60-second videos proposing practical, technology-driven solutions to plastic waste.
“Top entries will win N150,000, with consolation prizes for 100 additional participants.
“All interventions are designed to reduce plastic pollution and institutionalise long-term behavioral and cultural change within households, schools, businesses, and communities.
“Phase II is not just a campaign; it is a movement, transforming waste into value, problems into opportunities, and young people into champions of sustainability,” she said.
Dr Adeolu Odusote, Managing Director of Pearls Learning Hub, urged the media to highlight issues that protected the environment and contribute to global climate commitments.
Elizabeth Atsen, a beneficiary of phase one, said the initiative had equipped her with plastic waste management skills, which she had shared with others, amplifying the project’s impact in her community.
The European Commission on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, proposed changes to its own environmental regulations with the aim to ease the bureaucratic burden on businesses.
The commission hopes that the proposed amendments to six existing laws could have companies around €1 billion ($1.16 billion) annually.
“This legislative simplification provides a careful balance, facilitating businesses to operate more efficiently while preserving our core environmental and health goals,” said EU Commission Vice President, Teresa Ribera.
European Commission Vice President, Teresa Ribera
Environmental impact assessments for permits are to be simplified and accelerated.
The commission said, Digitalisation is intended to speed up environmental audits, while simultaneously ensuring access to analyses and their processing into reusable data,.
Additionally, companies will have more flexibility in implementing environmental regulations under the plans.
Certain reports will no longer be mandatory, and farmers and aquaculture companies will be exempt from certain reporting obligations.
Businesses in the battery, packaging, electronics, single-use plastics and waste sectors will no longer be required to appoint a separate representative for waste or recycling obligations in each EU country with the aim to save both time and money.
The proposals to simplify the EU’s own environmental regulations must now be discussed and approved by the member states and the European Parliament before they can enter into force.
Wednesday’s proposals are part of a wider effort to cut red tape in the EU and to improve Europe’s competitiveness.
Earlier this week an agreement was reached to weaken the EU’s supply chain law designed to protect human rights which will only apply to a few large companies.
