By Abbas Nazil
Nigerian climate advocate and parliamentarian, Sam Onuigbo, has called on African legislators to strengthen climate accountability by translating international climate commitments into enforceable laws, policies and budgetary provisions.
Onuigbo made the call at the 2026 African Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change (ANPCC) Executive Committee meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, where participants examined the role of legislatures in improving climate governance and implementing environmental commitments across Africa.
He said agreements reached at international climate conferences would have limited impact without legislative action to provide the legal and institutional frameworks required for implementation.
According to him, parliamentarians are critical to ensuring that climate pledges translate into practical measures that address environmental challenges and protect vulnerable communities.
He cited the expression, “Parliamentarians make COPs count,” noting that decisions reached at global climate conferences must be converted into national laws and policies to guide executive action.
Onuigbo warned that international climate negotiations would yield little meaningful progress if governments fail to develop the legislation and policies needed to implement agreed commitments.
He highlighted the responsibilities of parliamentarians in approving budgets, enacting laws and exercising oversight to ensure that funds allocated to climate programmes are properly utilised.
He stressed that climate action requires adequate financing and accountability mechanisms to ensure implementing agencies deliver measurable results.
Reflecting on his climate advocacy in Nigeria, Onuigbo said his participation in international climate negotiations, including the process leading to the Paris Agreement, strengthened his resolve to promote effective domestic climate action.
He pointed to environmental changes in his community, particularly the drying up of springs, as evidence of climate change impacts on local populations.
According to him, such experiences reinforced the need for legislative measures that establish clear institutional arrangements for coordinating climate responses.
Onuigbo cited Nigeria’s Climate Change Act and the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change under Section 3 of the Act as examples of how legislation can provide a foundation for coordinated climate governance.
He explained that such frameworks help create institutional structures needed to implement climate policies and coordinate activities across sectors and levels of government.
He further emphasised the importance of legislative networks in promoting knowledge exchange, strengthening cooperation and advancing climate-related legislation.
He said parliamentary collaboration could improve understanding of emerging environmental challenges and support policies that enable governments to fulfil their climate commitments.
The meeting underscored the need for stronger legislative oversight to move climate commitments beyond declarations to concrete action, with parliamentarians playing a central role in securing funding, monitoring implementation and holding institutions accountable.
