By Jane Okeke
ActionAid Nigeria, in partnership with Euphrates Climate Foundation, ECF, has warned that rising debt repayments could further weaken Nigeria’s capacity to finance climate action and protect vulnerable communities.
ActionAid Nigeria Country Director, Dr Andrew Mamedu, said climate justice must prioritise people directly affected by environmental degradation and economic hardship, including farmers, fishers, women, girls and young people.
Speaking at the joint press conference, ECF Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nancy Seember Terhemba, said the growing debt burden was putting pressure on resources needed to respond to climate change and protect communities already facing environmental and economic challenges.
The organisations raised the concern following the release of the international report, Debt Fuels the Climate Crisis: How the Finance Flows, which examines the relationship between debt and climate finance in vulnerable countries.
According to the report, climate-vulnerable countries are spending nearly 25 times more on debt repayments than on climate action, while 93-point-five per cent are either in debt crisis or at significant risk of debt distress.
ActionAid Nigeria and ECF said Nigeria faces similar pressure, with debt repayments projected to consume more than half of government revenue in 2026, potentially limiting resources for climate resilience and essential public services.
They said communities are already experiencing the consequences through environmental degradation, damaged livelihoods and food insecurity, while women and girls face additional burdens, including increased unpaid care work, difficulty accessing water and food, and disruptions to education.
The organisations also called for greater investment in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and flood prevention, noting that nearly 40 per cent of Nigeria’s population remains without access to electricity despite the country being Africa’s largest fossil fuel producer.
ActionAid Nigeria and ECF urged the Federal Government to adopt a sustainable and transparent public debt framework while protecting spending on healthcare, education, social protection and climate resilience, and ensuring climate funds are properly tracked and reach affected communities, women, young people and persons with disabilities.
