Article Type : Research Article
Authors : Oruonye ED
Keywords : Climate finance; Climate change policy; Climate resilience; Private sector engagement; Sustainable development
Nigeria’s
vulnerability to climate change poses severe threats to its development goals,
demanding urgent and substantial climate finance. While the National Adaptation
Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CCN) laid a
foundational policy framework, its implementation was hampered by limited
funding and weak private sector participation. With the enactment of the
Climate Change Act (2021), Nigeria now possesses a legally binding framework
that mandates climate planning and financing. However, despite growing
international support, climate finance flows remain insufficient, with public
and concessional sources dominating and private sector contributions averaging
only 23% between 2019 and 2021. This study used qualitative review of secondary
data and stakeholder policy analysis to critically assess Nigeria’s evolving
climate finance architecture, examining flows, instruments, providers, and
institutional reforms. It identifies key barriers to private sector engagement,
including regulatory uncertainty, lack of incentives, and underdeveloped
project pipelines. The study concludes that private sector engagement is
essential to close Nigeria’s climate finance gap and achieve a
climate-resilient development trajectory beyond 2030. Drawing on recent trends
in green bonds, blended finance, and public-private partnerships, the paper
offers actionable strategies for mobilizing private investment. It proposes the
establishment of a National Climate Finance Platform, mandatory Environmental,
Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures, and targeted de-risking mechanism.
Nigeria
is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, including more
frequent floods, desertification, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events.
These climate-related risks continue to threaten national development goals,
affecting critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources, energy, and
public health. In recognition of these growing threats, Nigeria took a major
step in 2011 by launching the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action
on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CCN). This strategy provided a
foundational framework for identifying sectoral vulnerabilities and
prioritizing adaptation actions across different levels of governance [1].
However, while NASPA-CCN laid the groundwork for adaptation policy, it lacked
the institutional and financial mechanisms required for effective
implementation. To strengthen its climate governance architecture, Nigeria
enacted the Climate Change Act in 2021, marking a pivotal shift from policy
recommendation to legally binding commitments. The Act established the National
Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to coordinate national efforts and mandates
the development of a carbon budget and climate action plans, integrating
climate change into national planning frameworks [2]. Importantly, the Act also
emphasizes the need for sustainable financing mechanisms to support both
mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Yet,
despite these advancements, a major challenge remains: the gap between
Nigeria’s ambitious climate policies and the actual mobilization of financial
resources, particularly from the private sector. It is estimated that Nigeria
will require more than $177 billion by 2030 to finance its climate change
response [3]. Between 2015 and 2021, Nigeria received approximately $4.93
billion in climate finance. In 2021/22, total climate finance in Nigeria was
$1,784 million from public sources and $760 million from private sources. In
terms of private vs public climate finance between 2019 and 2021, public
finance contributed $1.46 billion, while private finance accounted for $437
million. As of 2022, key climate finance providers to Nigeria from 2015 to 2021
include the World Bank ($3.17 billion), France ($616 million), and EU
institutions ($321 million) [4, 5]. Historically, climate finance flows into
Nigeria have been dominated by international public sources and concessional
loans, with limited domestic private sector involvement. Less than 20% of
climate finance mobilized between 2015 and 2020 originated from private sources
[4], indicating a substantial underutilization of private capital in the
country’s climate response. Between 2019 and 2021, private finance accounted
for 23% (USD 437 million) of the total USD 1.90 billion climate finance. In
2021/22, private sources contributed USD 760 million to climate finance in
Nigeria. Corporations contributed USD 496 million, households and individuals
USD 65 million, and philanthropic foundations USD 60 million [6,5]. This
underperformance is driven by several factors, including regulatory
uncertainty, low awareness of climate investment opportunities, limited access
to concessional financing instruments such as green bonds or blended finance,
and the absence of strong risk-sharing mechanisms [7]. Furthermore, private
investment in climate adaptation especially for vulnerable communities and
ecosystems remains disproportionately low compared to mitigation-focused
projects like renewable energy. Without a strategic framework to harness
private capital, Nigeria risks falling short of its climate resilience goals
and undermining the broader objectives of inclusive and sustainable
development. While several studies such as Oxfam in Nigeria and Connected
Development [8, 6, 9, 10], have examined climate finance flows in Nigeria, few
others [11, 12,13], have critically explored the evolving role of the private
sector in bridging the climate finance gap, especially in the context of the
post-2030 climate agenda. There is a noticeable lack of empirical research and
policy-oriented recommendations on how to effectively mobilize, de-risk, and
channel private investments into climate-resilient sectors. This knowledge gap
has limited the capacity of policymakers and development partners to design
effective financial instruments and incentives that align with Nigeria’s national
adaptation priorities.
In
light of these gaps, this paper seeks to advance the discourse on climate
finance by focusing on the critical yet underexplored role of the private
sector in Nigeria’s climate resilience pathway beyond 2030.
The
specific objectives of the study are to
By addressing these objectives, the paper aims to contribute to the development of a more inclusive and robust climate finance ecosystem, capable of delivering on Nigeria’s national and international climate commitments.
The
conceptual framework for this study revolves around the interaction of three
key concepts: Climate Finance, Climate Resilience, and Public-Private
Partnerships (PPPs). These concepts are central to addressing Nigeria's climate
challenges and ensuring long-term sustainable solutions beyond 2030. The
framework establishes how private sector engagement in financing climate
resilience strategies can contribute to a sustainable and climate-resilient
Nigeria.
Climate finance refers to the financial resources mobilized and allocated to address climate change mitigation and adaptation activities. In the context of Nigeria, climate finance plays a critical role in enabling the implementation of the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CCN), which outlines the country’s strategic approach to addressing climate vulnerabilities. Climate finance sources can be categorized into public finance (government budgetary allocations, multilateral finance) and private sector finance (corporate investments, impact investing, green bonds, civil societies, Non-Governmental Organizations, communities and households) [14].
Climate finance ensures that adequate resources are available to build climate resilience and to implement the strategic actions identified under the NASPA-CCN framework thereby enabling everyone to have access to resources and opportunities they need to thrive under a changing climate
Climate resilience is the capacity of a system (including a country, sector, community, households and individuals) to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and rising temperatures (IPCC, 2022). For Nigeria, climate resilience involves not only reducing vulnerabilities to climate-related shocks but also enhancing the country’s ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Key dimensions of climate resilience include
Climate
resilience strategies in Nigeria include both mitigation (reducing emissions)
and adaptation (building adaptive capacities), which require financing and
investment across various sectors.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are cooperative agreements between the government and private sector entities to jointly invest in and manage climate resilience projects [17]. In the context of Nigeria’s climate pathway beyond 2030, PPPs are seen as a crucial mechanism for bridging the financing gap and enhancing the implementation of climate resilience strategies.
PPPs can facilitate
In
the framework of NASPA-CCN, PPPs can enable more robust financing for climate
action, especially as the government alone may not be able to mobilize
sufficient resources.
Linking
the Concepts
The
study proposes that engaging the private sector in financing Nigeria’s climate
resilience pathway is pivotal to meeting the country’s climate goals post-2030.
The
conceptual link between climate finance, climate resilience, and PPPs can be
summarized as follows:
By
fostering strong partnerships between the public and private sectors, Nigeria
can tap into private sector expertise, funding, and technology, thus enhancing
the effectiveness of its climate resilience pathway beyond 2030.
This
study adopts Institutional Theory as its guiding theoretical lens to examine
how formal regulations, policies, and institutional norms shape the behavior of
private sector actors in supporting Nigeria’s climate resilience agenda beyond
2030. Institutional Theory posits that organizations are not merely driven by
efficiency or profitability, but also by the need to conform to the formal and
informal rules, norms, and expectations within their institutional environment
[19]. It provides a powerful framework to understand how the private sector
aligns its strategies, investments, and innovations with national climate
objectives in response to evolving regulatory frameworks such as the National
Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria
(NASPA-CCN). Central to Institutional Theory are three key institutional
pillars - regulative, normative, and cognitive [20]. The regulative pillar
underscores the role of laws, policies, and rules in shaping organizational
behavior through coercive mechanisms. In the Nigerian context, the NASPA-CCN,
the Climate Change Act (2021), and the revised Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) are instrumental in influencing private sector responses
to climate change. These instruments not only define permissible conduct but
also incentivize or penalize compliance and non-compliance respectively. As
DiMaggio and Powell (1983) note, such coercive pressures lead to isomorphism,
whereby organizations adopt similar structures or behaviors to conform to
regulatory expectations [21]. The normative pillar captures the influence of
societal values, professional norms, and expectations that define appropriate
conduct. The increasing social demand for environmental responsibility, driven
by both local and international stakeholders including investors, consumers,
and civil society encourages businesses to voluntarily integrate climate
resilience considerations into their operations. This is particularly relevant
in sectors like agriculture, extractives, and infrastructure, where
environmental risks directly affect long-term viability. The cognitive pillar
refers to the shared beliefs and taken-for-granted assumptions that guide how
actors interpret their roles and the legitimacy of climate action. In Nigeria,
changing perceptions about climate risk, sustainability, and environmental
stewardship are gradually embedding climate resilience as a strategic business
concern. However, cognitive alignment remains limited without deliberate policy
signaling and institutional coordination. By applying Institutional Theory,
this study seeks to analyze how Nigeria's climate adaptation policies,
especially NASPA-CCN, have influenced or failed to influence the strategic
behavior of the private sector. It also aims to identify the institutional
voids and misalignments that hinder deeper engagement and financing.
Institutional Theory thereby offers a framework to explain both the constraints
and the enabling conditions under which private sector actors mobilize
resources and align with national climate goals [22,23]. In summary, this
theoretical framework allows for a comprehensive exploration of the interaction
between climate policy instruments and institutional dynamics within Nigeria’s
private sector, helping to reveal how regulatory reforms and institutional
strengthening can unlock private financing for climate resilience beyond 2030.
The
methodology employed in this study is the descriptive approach which relied
primarily on secondary data sourced from various online platforms and publicly
available reports. This approach allows the study to utilize the most current
and comprehensive information on climate finance, climate resilience, and
public-private partnerships (PPPs) as they pertain to Nigeria’s climate goals.
The data was collected from government reports, such as the National Adaptation
Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria [1,2], official
publications from relevant Nigerian ministries, and national development plans.
International reports and studies from organizations like the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change [24], the World Bank [25] and the Green
Climate Fund [26] was also included, focusing on climate finance mechanisms and
the involvement of the private sector in climate projects. Academic papers and
journal articles available on academic databases further provide insights into
climate resilience, climate finance, and PPPs [14,17]. Additionally, private
sector reports from organizations such as the Global Impact Investing Network
[27], and the UNEP Finance Initiative (2020) was incorporated to examine the
private sector’s role in financing climate resilience. Publications from think
tanks and research institutions like the African Development Bank [28] and the
World Resources Institute [29] helped contextualize the study within the
broader global climate finance landscape. The collected data undergo content
and comparative analysis to identify key themes, trends, and best practices
related to the private sector’s role in financing Nigeria's climate resilience
pathway. The thematic focus included the mobilization of climate finance, the
role of PPPs in facilitating private sector participation, and the challenges
and opportunities for increased private sector engagement. The study
synthesized policies such as NASPA-CCN, evaluate their integration of private
sector solutions, and explore the effectiveness of mechanisms like green bonds
and impact investing. Data was cross-verified from multiple credible sources,
ensuring validity and reliability. However, limitations include the potential
lack of real-time or localized data, biases in reports, and limited coverage of
some sectors. Ethical considerations are addressed by ensuring full citation
and attribution of all secondary sources to maintain academic integrity and
transparency.
Evolution of Climate Change Policy
in Nigeria and Its Implications for Climate Finance Architecture
Nigeria’s
climate change policy has evolved over the last decade from foundational
adaptation planning to the development of an integrated legal and institutional
framework. This policy evolution - from the National Adaptation Strategy and
Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CCN) to the enactment of
the Climate Change Act in 2021 - has important implications for the development
of a coherent climate finance architecture. NASPA-CCN, launched in 2011, was
Nigeria’s first national adaptation strategy. It outlined the country's
priorities in addressing climate vulnerabilities, particularly in agriculture,
water resources, health, and energy [1]. While NASPA-CCN emphasized the
integration of climate adaptation into sectoral development planning and
promoted institutional coordination through the Department of Climate Change,
it remained a policy-based document without legislative authority.
Consequently, its implementation was largely donor-driven, lacked a structured
financing strategy, and offered limited incentives or enforcement mechanisms to
mobilize private sector participation in climate adaptation [30]. The
submission of Nigeria’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in
2015 under the Paris Agreement marked a turning point by broadening the scope
of climate action to include both mitigation and adaptation. The revised
Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted in 2021 set out a
dual-target approach: an unconditional commitment to reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions by 20 percent and a conditional target of up to 47 percent
reduction by 2030, subject to international support [2]. This strategic shift
introduced costed implementation pathways, with Nigeria estimating its climate
finance needs at over $177 billion by 2030. To begin addressing this gap,
Nigeria issued Africa’s first sovereign green bond in 2017, signaling a growing
interest in innovative climate financing instruments [31]. However, access to
climate finance remained constrained by weak legal and institutional
frameworks, lack of transparency, and low private sector involvement [32].
The
enactment of the Climate Change Act in 2021 addressed these gaps by providing a
legally binding framework for climate governance in Nigeria. The Act
established the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) with the mandate to
coordinate national climate actions, oversee the development of five-yearly
National Climate Change Action Plans, and ensure mainstreaming of climate
considerations into all development policies and programs [33]. Importantly,
the Act introduced a carbon budget system and promoted market-based mechanisms
such as carbon trading, thereby creating an enabling environment for private
sector investment. It also institutionalized climate finance governance by
assigning responsibilities for resource mobilization and monitoring to specific
institutions. These provisions are expected to improve Nigeria’s eligibility
and readiness to access international climate finance, particularly from
mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility
(GEF), and Adaptation Fund. The implications of these developments for
Nigeria’s climate finance architecture are profound. First, the legal clarity
provided by the Climate Change Act enhances investor confidence and encourages
long-term planning in climate-sensitive sectors. Second, the
institutionalization of climate finance mechanisms supports the creation of a
coordinated platform to mobilize, pool, and track funding from diverse sources,
including domestic budgets, international donors, and private investors. Third,
the framework provides the basis for engaging subnational actors, thereby
decentralizing access to climate finance and promoting community-based
resilience initiatives. Fourth, it lays the groundwork for mainstreaming
climate risk into financial sector regulation, including through potential
mandates on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures. However,
key challenges remain. Institutional coordination is still evolving, with
overlapping mandates across government agencies. Climate finance flows remain disproportionately
directed toward mitigation rather than adaptation. Moreover, private sector
awareness and capacity to access and deploy climate finance remain low [7].
Climate Finance Flow to Nigeria (2015–2021)
Between
2015 and 2021, Nigeria received a total of approximately $4.93 billion in
climate finance across 828 climate-related projects, averaging $704 million per
year. The annual financial inflow increased steadily, peaking in 2020 with over
$1.69 billion committed, reflecting heightened global attention to climate
action that year. However, a slight drop occurred in 2021, indicating
variability in annual inflows (Table 1).
Table
1 presents an overview of climate finance flows to Nigeria between 2015 and
2021, comparing the expected annual climate finance requirement with the actual
funds received. Based on Nigeria’s Updated Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs), the country requires approximately $17.77 billion annually amounting to
$177.7 billion by 2030 to effectively mitigate and adapt to the impacts of
climate change. However, the data reveals a persistent and substantial gap
between the expected and received amounts. Over the seven-year period, Nigeria
received a total of approximately $4.93 billion in climate finance, while the
expected cumulative amount stood at about $124.39 billion. This results in a
total climate finance gap of approximately $119.46 billion, with annual
shortfalls consistently exceeding $16 billion. The highest inflow was recorded
in 2020, with over $1.69 billion received, likely due to heightened global
attention on climate issues during the post-Paris Agreement stocktaking period.
In contrast, the lowest inflow occurred in 2016, with only $100.5 million
received. Several factors contribute to this significant gap. First, Nigeria
faces challenges in accessing international climate funds due to complex
application processes, limited institutional capacity, and insufficient
expertise in preparing bankable projects. Second, the country’s domestic
climate finance framework remains weak and fragmented, marked by overlapping
mandates among relevant agencies and poor integration of climate considerations
into national budgets. Third, the private sector remains under-engaged,
primarily due to high investment risks, lack of incentives, and the absence of
green financial instruments such as climate bonds and carbon markets. Fourth,
geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties including currency volatility,
insecurity, and global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict
have reduced investor confidence and diverted donor attention. Finally, limited
domestic resource mobilization further exacerbates the challenge, as Nigeria’s
public spending on climate initiatives remains low and lacks a coherent
long-term investment strategy. To address these challenges and bridge the
climate finance gap, Nigeria must enhance institutional coordination, create a
conducive environment for private sector participation, integrate climate
finance into national development planning, and expand its access to both
international and innovative financial instruments.
Sources of Climate Finance in Nigeria
In
Nigeria, climate finance sources include government funding, international
climate funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund), multilateral development banks, and
bilateral aid. Additionally, private sector investments, including blended
finance mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and domestic banks, play a
crucial role in financing climate resilience projects, particularly in
adaptation and mitigation efforts beyond 2030. The diverse sources of climate
finance in Nigeria for 2021/22 is presented (Table 2).
Table
2 shows that climate finance in Nigeria (2021/22) was dominated by public
sources, with $1,784 million mainly from government, bilateral and multilateral
development finance institutions. Public actor’s committed USD 1.8 billion in
climate finance in 2021/22, a 20% increase from USD 1.5 billion in 2019/20. Of
this public finance, 65% was provided on concessional terms [34]. Multilateral
DFIs continued to be the largest provider of public climate finance in Nigeria,
accounting for 67% of the public total. Corporations contributed $496 million,
indicating some private sector involvement, while contributions from
households, individuals, and multilateral climate funds remained low.
Institutional investors, commercial financial institutions, and foundations
were largely absent or untracked. The data highlights the need to mobilize
greater private sector participation, improve access to international climate
funds, and enhance transparency and tracking of climate finance flows for
effective climate resilience and sustainable development in Nigeria.
The
key climate finance providers to Nigeria (2015–2021) include multilateral
institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the Green
Climate Fund, which have supported a range of climate resilience projects.
Bilateral donors, particularly the UK, Germany, and the United States, have
also contributed significant funding as shown (Table 3).
Table
3 presents a breakdown of climate finance flows to Nigeria by major
international providers between 2015 and 2021, reflecting the central role of
development partners and multilateral institutions in financing Nigeria’s
climate agenda. Over this period, a total of 828 climate-related projects
received USD 4.93 billion, and the top contributors accounted for a significant
share of this support.
The
World Bank emerged as the largest single provider, committing USD 3.17 billion;
equivalent to 64% of total climate finance. With 120 projects, the Bank’s
average commitment per project stood at over USD 26 million, signaling its
emphasis on large-scale, high-impact initiatives, particularly in adaptation
and mitigation infrastructure.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) contributed a single high-value investment of USD 99 million, underlining the fund’s role in supporting transformative, flagship mitigation projects. Similarly, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) provided a one-off but significant grant of nearly USD 30 million. Conversely, bilateral partners such as the United States (USD 82 million, 182 projects), UK (USD 53 million, 51 projects), and Germany (USD 49 million, 46 projects) engaged in numerous small-scale interventions, often focusing on capacity building, education, and community-based resilience projects with an average commitment below USD 1.1 million per project. Japan and Norway, while contributing lower total amounts, also highlight the diversity of donor involvement, often channeling funds through technical cooperation and adaptation activities. These figures reinforce a key point: climate finance to Nigeria is largely donor-driven, with limited private sector or institutional investor participation. While development partners have been instrumental in financing large adaptation and mitigation projects, the challenge remains in scaling private finance participation, particularly through blended finance mechanisms, risk-sharing tools, and policy incentives that can crowd in private capital. The disparities in average funding per project also suggest a need for better coordination and aggregation of smaller climate projects to make them more bankable and attractive to commercial investors - an essential step for mobilizing broader private sector support and achieving Nigeria’s climate and sustainable development goals. Between 2019 and 2021, Nigeria’s climate finance landscape saw a dominant role for public sector funding, primarily through multilateral and bilateral institutions. Private sector involvement remained limited, with significant contributions from non-concessional debt instruments and small-scale equity investments as shown in Table 4. The private-public split highlights the need for stronger private sector engagement, particularly through blended finance, to scale up financing for climate resilience projects and ensure long-term sustainability beyond 2030 (Table 4).
Table
4 reveals that public finance continues to dominate, contributing 77% (USD 1.46
billion) of the total USD 1.90 billion climate finance, while private finance
accounts for 23% (USD 437 million). In the mitigation category, private actors
contributed 26%, with public finance supplying 74% of the total USD 1.10
billion. Adaptation projects saw even greater public sector dominance, with 95%
of funding coming from public sources and only 5% from private investors. In
contrast, dual-benefit projects (those that support both mitigation and
adaptation) recorded a higher private sector share at 67%, highlighting the
growing interest of private actors in integrated climate solutions. In a
strategic effort to expand private sector participation, the Nigerian
government, in collaboration with corporate stakeholders, has established a
national Climate Fund. This initiative aims to leverage Green Climate Fund
(GCF) resources and attract institutional investors for co-financing
climate-related projects. Additionally, the Federal Ministry of Environment,
through its Department of Climate Change and with support from UNDP, has
convened Business Roundtables to raise awareness and drive private sector
engagement. These efforts underscore Nigeria’s commitment to mobilizing private
finance for climate action and achieving a more balanced financing landscape.
In
an effort to attract the private sector to participate in promoting investments
in climate resilience, the Nigerian government launched in 2017 the Nigerian
Green Bond Market. This aims to raise funds for climate-friendly projects, such
as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and infrastructure as shown
(Table 5).
Table
5 details the issuance of green bonds in Nigeria from 2017 to 2021. This Table
specifically showcases a mechanism for mobilizing private sector finance
towards climate-related projects. It highlights the types of issuers, including
the Federal Government and private entities like North South Power Company and
Access Bank, and the specific green projects funded, such as renewable energy
(solar, wind, hydropower), afforestation, rural electrification, and flood
defenses. The total amount raised through green bonds during this period
($165.1 million USD) represents a segment of private sector contribution to
climate finance. This table is crucial for the study as it provides concrete
examples of how capital markets can be leveraged to finance green initiatives,
demonstrating the potential and existing avenues for private sector involvement
in supporting Nigeria's climate resilience and sustainable development goals.
The Table 5 highlights the emerging but underdeveloped role of green bonds in
mobilizing climate finance for resilience and sustainable development in
Nigeria. However, the market remains nascent, and its growth depends on
increasing investor confidence, regulatory support, and clearer project
pipelines.