Nigeria’s climate governance structure received a major boost as the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) brought together State Commissioners for Environment and Climate Change in Abuja under the “Conference of Commissioners of Environment and Climate Change” initiative aimed at bridging systemic subnational climate gaps.
The forum, held on July 13, 2025, opened with a call by Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, President of SPP (represented by Mr. Gboyega Olorunfemi), urging Commissioners to dismantle silos and adopt collective action for stronger policy outcomes. He emphasized the urgent need to equip local decision-makers with technical support, better visibility, and tools to attract international climate finance.
Hon. Mrs. Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe of Ekiti State, Chairperson of the Commissioners’ Conference and host of the meeting, applauded SPP’s long-term commitment to amplifying subnational voices. She called on her colleagues to leverage the newly offered technical expertise from SPP to improve results and collaborate more effectively with their state governors to implement sustainable climate action.
Key technical contributions came from Dr. Olly Owens, Forestry Advisor to the Governor of Ekiti, who urged SPP to serve as a bridge between fragmented state-level efforts and global frameworks like the UNFCCC and COP. He noted the absence of structured subnational participation in international climate negotiations and stressed that federalism must not limit state-level representation on global platforms.
Anambra State Commissioner, Dr. Felix Odimegwu, added that this unified front will accelerate progress for less-resourced states. He argued that SPP’s mapping of climate policy gaps has proven that a collective approach is more effective than isolated efforts. “This platform is a lifeline for coordination, not competition,” he said.
Prof. Sam Ugwu of Enugu State echoed the funding challenge, revealing that despite the launch of Enugu’s climate policy earlier this year, the absence of implementation resources remains a setback. He appealed to SPP to provide targeted support to translate policies into action.
Commissioners from Abia, Taraba, and Ebonyi States each shared key milestones and challenges. Taraba’s Hon. Aishat Barde announced the completion of the state’s first Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, while Abia’s Hon. Philemon Ogbonna urged urgent solutions to poor climate finance access at the subnational level. Ebonyi’s Commissioner, Rt. Hon. Chukwu Uzoma, pledged openness to SPP collaboration.
SPP reaffirmed its intention to deploy dedicated climate governance advisors to the Conference Secretariat and expand its Climate Governance Performance Ranking initiative across all 36 states. With a strong track record of catalyzing state-level climate policies, SPP is now aiming to mainstream subnational climate actors into national and global decision-making systems.
