Klimaschutz und Sicherheit: Einbeziehung von Klimaschutzaspekten in das Polizeikonzept Nigerias

The document analyzes how climate-induced stressors, such as desertification in the north and sea-level rise in the south, exacerbate security threats in Nigeria, including farmer-herder conflicts and insurgency. It evaluates the current security architecture, finding that while the National Security Strategy recognizes climate change, there is a significant lack of actionable integration within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies. The brief highlights gaps in institutional coordination, resource allocation, and risk assessment, while suggesting lessons from South Africa, Kenya, and Australia to build a more resilient, community-engaged policing model.

• Climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' in Nigeria, where environmental stressors exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and resource scarcity, leading to heightened insecurity and violent conflict.
• Specific climate-driven security crises in Nigeria include escalating tensions in the Lake Chad Basin due to the shrinkage of the lake, and violent conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in northern states such as Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Taraba.
• Coastal and delta regions face unique security risks; sea-level rise and flooding in the Niger Delta have fueled militancy and criminal activities, such as piracy and smuggling, as livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture are lost.
• There is a critical disconnect between Nigeria's climate-focused regulatory bodies and its security agencies; for example, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has developed a National Contingency Plan based on climate risk assessments that has not been shared with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
• The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is identified as the most critical institution for managing climate-induced security at the grassroots level, yet its current legal and operational frameworks, including the Police Act 2020, do not incorporate climate change as a critical security factor.
• Institutional coordination within the security sector is hampered by rivalry between the military and the NPF, and a lack of security representation in climate governance, evidenced by the absence of security officials on the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions.
• Financial resources for security are heavily skewed toward the military to fight insurgency, with over 80% of the total security budget allocated to recurrent expenditure, leaving minimal capital for climate-resilient infrastructure.

APA

Imafidor, M. (2025). Klimaschutz und Sicherheit: Einbeziehung von Klimaschutzaspekten in das Polizeikonzept Nigerias. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/klimaschutz-und-sicherheit-einbeziehung-von-klimaschutzaspekten-in-das-polizeikonzept-nigerias-en

Chicago

Imafidor, Mike. Klimaschutz und Sicherheit: Einbeziehung von Klimaschutzaspekten in das Polizeikonzept Nigerias. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/de/klimaschutz-und-sicherheit-einbeziehung-von-klimaschutzaspekten-in-das-polizeikonzept-nigerias-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Imafidor |first1=Mike |title=Klimaschutz und Sicherheit: Einbeziehung von Klimaschutzaspekten in das Polizeikonzept Nigerias |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=11 December 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/klimaschutz-und-sicherheit-einbeziehung-von-klimaschutzaspekten-in-das-polizeikonzept-nigerias-en |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{imafidor2025klimaschutz, author = {Imafidor, Mike}, title = {{Klimaschutz und Sicherheit: Einbeziehung von Klimaschutzaspekten in das Polizeikonzept Nigerias}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/klimaschutz-und-sicherheit-einbeziehung-von-klimaschutzaspekten-in-das-polizeikonzept-nigerias-en}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }