By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Federal Government has pledged support for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) initiative aimed at mobilising investment to address climate-induced migration in West and Central Africa.
Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Lawal, made the commitment recently at a regional conference organised by the IOM in Lagos.
Represented by the ministry’s Director of Climate Change, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Lawal said Nigeria would continue supporting efforts to bridge the gap between climate policy and financing.
The conference, themed “Migration and Climate Action in West and Central Africa: From Policy Commitment to Climate Mobility Investment,” focused on translating climate commitments into practical funding solutions.
Lawal said the region was grappling with worsening environmental challenges, including desertification in the Sahel, coastal erosion in the Gulf of Guinea, and flooding across major river basins.
He noted that these climate-related impacts were disrupting livelihoods and forcing many people to migrate or become displaced.
According to him, climate change acts as a threat multiplier but mobility should also be seen as a pathway to resilience when properly managed.
The minister said Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan provides a long-term framework for climate resilience, prioritising agriculture, water management, disaster risk reduction, urban resilience, and ecosystem adaptation.
He added that Nigeria was integrating human mobility into climate policy, recognising migration as a legitimate adaptation strategy aligned with the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change.
Lawal stressed the need for greater investment in climate finance, resilient infrastructure, livelihoods, and stronger regional cooperation.
“Without adequate investment, policy commitments risk remaining aspirational,” he said.
In her remarks, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Ms. Sylvia Ekra, said climate change was already reshaping livelihoods, economies, and migration patterns across the region.
Ekra disclosed that over two million people had already been displaced by disasters, warning that up to 32 million people could be forced to move internally by 2050 without effective climate action.
Also, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting IOM activities on climate and migration across the region.
