UNLOCKING ADAPTATION POTENTIAL

The report argues that while Nigeria has comprehensive national adaptation frameworks, there is a significant gap between high-level policy and local implementation. It highlights that locally led adaptation (LLA) is already occurring through community-driven initiatives in biogas production, aquaculture, and erosion control, but these efforts are hindered by a lack of finance, technical capacity, and political will. The authors advocate for a shift from 'top-down' approaches to those that empower frontline communities to lead the design and monitoring of adaptation actions.

• Nigeria is highly vulnerable to climate change, ranking 161 out of 182 countries in the 2021 ND-GAIN assessment, with risks including desertification in the north and perennial flooding in the south that caused USD 16.9 billion in losses in 2012 alone.
• There is a systemic disconnect between Nigeria's national adaptation policies and local implementation; current plans utilize a 'top-down' approach that excludes frontline communities from decision-making, treating them as beneficiaries rather than active agents.
• Climate adaptation in Nigeria is severely underfunded, with the country relying on foreign aid and grants for over 50% of its activities. The Federal Ministry of Environment estimates a requirement of USD 142 billion over the next decade to implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• In Owode, Ogun State, smallholder farmers are adapting to energy poverty and deforestation by producing biogas from agricultural waste (cassava peels, livestock, and poultry waste) to replace fuelwood for processing garri.
• Fish farmers in Alimosho, Lagos, have implemented LLA strategies to combat a 60% sector collapse, including drilling deeper boreholes to reach receding groundwater, installing water treatment plants, and cross-breeding fish to create the disease-resistant 'Heteroclarias' hybrid.
• In Abatete, Anambra State, rural communities use traditional nature-based solutions to combat severe gully erosion, which has degraded nearly 70% of the state's landmass. These include planting erosion-resistant trees, laying sandbags at hotspots, and using raised-bed cultivation for vegetables.
• The report identifies critical barriers to scaling LLA, including a lack of financial credit for smallholders, limited technical expertise for complex tasks (such as water pH monitoring), and a lack of synergy between rural communities and national research institutions.
• Nigeria's economy is significantly impacted by climate change, currently losing approximately 5% of its GDP per capita, a figure projected to potentially reach 30% by 2050.

APA

U., O. C., V., O. C., & E., A. E. (2023). UNLOCKING ADAPTATION POTENTIAL. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/projects/climate-adaptation/uploads/files/climate_adaptation_nigeria_final_report.pdf

Chicago

U., Okeke, Chukwueloka, Ogunji, Chinwe V., and Anieze, Ethelbert E. UNLOCKING ADAPTATION POTENTIAL. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2023. https://afripoli.org/projects/climate-adaptation/uploads/files/climate_adaptation_nigeria_final_report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=U. |first1=Okeke, Chukwueloka |last2=V. |first2=Ogunji, Chinwe |last3=E. |first3=Anieze, Ethelbert |title=UNLOCKING ADAPTATION POTENTIAL |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=2023 |url=https://afripoli.org/projects/climate-adaptation/uploads/files/climate_adaptation_nigeria_final_report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{u2023unlocking, author = {U., Okeke, Chukwueloka and V., Ogunji, Chinwe and E., Anieze, Ethelbert}, title = {{UNLOCKING ADAPTATION POTENTIAL}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2023}, url = {https://afripoli.org/projects/climate-adaptation/uploads/files/climate_adaptation_nigeria_final_report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }