By Abdullahi Lukman
Nigeria has validated the framework and two-year action plan for the Green Women Platform (GWP) a new initiative aimed at integrating gender equality into environmental and climate action programs across Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) and key development partners, jointly held the Validation Workshop for the platform on Tuesday at the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Abuja.
The workshop brought together senior government officials, representatives of women’s associations, civil society, academia, and international partners.
Delivering opening remarks on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Agnes Nkechi commended the initiative as a milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to ensure that women are not left behind in the implementation of national environmental and climate commitments.
“Women bear the most significant burden of environmental degradation, yet they are also powerful agents of resilience and adaptation,” she said.
“By creating the Green Women Platform, Nigeria is aligning with the regional vision of the Pan-African Great Green Wall while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals on ending poverty, gender equality, climate action, and life on land.”
Nkechi explained that the workshop would validate the structural framework, adopt a national governance arrangement, and agree on a two-year action plan for the platform — outcomes that will empower women as beneficiaries and full partners in decision-making, resource mobilization, and implementation.
She commended the leadership of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), the political support from the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria, and the collaboration of partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Pan-African Great Green Wall Agency (PAGGW).
“The task before us is both urgent and essential,” she added.
“I urge all participants to deliberate with commitment and vision, so that the outcomes of this workshop will position Nigeria as a model for other Great Green Wall countries to follow.”
In his welcome address, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, noted that the GWP represents a major innovation within the Pan-African Great Green Wall framework, designed to place women at the center of efforts to combat desertification, climate change, and land degradation.
“This validation workshop allows us to finalize the GWP’s national framework, define its governance structures, and agree on a practical two-year action plan to guide implementation,” he said.
“Together, we aim to establish a strong and inclusive platform that empowers Nigerian women to build resilience, restore degraded lands, and foster sustainable livelihoods.”
Representing Mr. Almoustapha Garba, Executive Secretary of the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), Mr. Tiang expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria for its continued leadership in implementing the Great Green Wall initiative.
He recalled that the idea for the Green Women Platform was introduced by PAGGW in 2018 to consolidate and harmonize women’s efforts across member states, ensuring their effective participation in the Great Green Wall process.
“The Platform must serve as an interface and voice for women who are often excluded from decision-making spaces,” he said.
“It should also function as an observatory of women’s rights, ensuring their full and effective participation in local governance and access to natural resources.”
He further noted that the establishment of the Green Women Platform across member states — including Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Mauritania — was made possible through the support of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The event was attended by former Directors-General of the NAGGW as well as Dr. Asabe Bashir, Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, among other dignitaries.
Participants described the validation as a turning point for inclusive environmental governance and pledged to work together to ensure that the Platform becomes a model for empowering women in climate action across Nigeria’s Great Green Wall corridor.
