By Faridat Salifu
The Africa Climate Forum has called for stronger collaboration between governments, private businesses, development finance institutions and communities to translate climate commitments into measurable outcomes, warning that Africa must move beyond policy declarations to practical implementation.
The call was made on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the fourth edition of the forum held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, themed “Implementing in Lockstep: Public-Private Action for Green Outcomes.”
In his welcome address, the Convener, Prof. George Nwangwu, and in a goodwill message, Dr Oge Funlola Modie, Founder and Executive Chair of Avocado Holdings, said Africa’s climate ambitions would only be meaningful if backed by coordinated action, sustainable investment, innovation and effective communication.
Prof. Nwangwu said the forum was established four years ago to create a platform where ideas, policy, investment and innovation converge to develop practical responses to Africa’s climate challenges.
He said the initiative had expanded its partnerships over the years, with its first edition outside Nigeria held in Accra, Ghana, as part of efforts to build a truly pan-African platform. Nairobi, Kenya, is being considered for next year’s mini Climate Forum series, with an ambition to achieve broader participation and more tangible results over the next four years.
He stressed that the forum was intended to be more than a conference, but an environment where ideas translate into policies, policies into investments, and investments into measurable improvements in lives and livelihoods.
“The real measure of climate ambition is not the number of commitments we make, but the outcomes we deliver,” he said.
The Convener noted that while Africa has participated actively in international climate negotiations, developed national climate commitments and advocated for support for adaptation and low-carbon development, communities continue to face devastating floods, droughts, food insecurity and environmental degradation.
He also highlighted the contradiction between Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources and the millions of people who still lack access to reliable electricity and clean cooking.
According to him, addressing these challenges requires implementation, not additional declarations, with governments providing policies and effective institutions, the private sector bringing investment and innovation, development finance institutions mobilising capital and mitigating risks, and researchers developing locally relevant solutions.
He said public expenditure and development assistance alone cannot meet Africa’s climate financing needs, making private investment and commercially sustainable solutions essential. However, private capital must be supported by sound policies, credible regulation, effective governance and appropriate financing mechanisms.
Priority areas, he said, include resilient infrastructure, affordable and reliable energy, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable cities, green industries and opportunities for African enterprises.
On climate finance, Prof. Nwangwu said outcomes of COP30 held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025 reinforced the need to address adequate, predictable and affordable climate finance, adaptation, energy transition and implementation of commitments.
For Africa, he said, these issues directly affect development, industrialisation and food security. He identified high financing costs, currency risks, regulatory uncertainty, inadequate project preparation and limited access to long-term capital as key barriers preventing climate projects from attracting investment.
He called for stronger continental cooperation, alignment of national priorities with regional strategies, and a coordinated African voice in international climate negotiations, the G20 and multilateral development banks.
Four platforms to close implementation gap
To address the gap between commitments and delivery, Prof. Nwangwu said the forum is organised around four platforms — policy dialogue, investment facilitation, innovation and storytelling.
The Policy Dialogue brings together policymakers, practitioners, academics and investors to examine reforms and financing mechanisms. The Deal Room connects project developers with investors and financial institutions to overcome preparation and regulatory barriers. The Marketplace showcases African entrepreneurs and innovations in renewable energy, clean cooking, agritech, waste management and resilience.
He said Africa should not be seen merely as a recipient of climate solutions developed elsewhere, but as a source of knowledge and innovation.
The fourth platform, Climate Stories, introduced this year, documents human experiences of climate change — from farmers whose crops were destroyed by floods to women leading local initiatives and youth establishing green enterprises.
The four platforms, he explained, are designed to reinforce one another by connecting policy with investment, scaling innovation and ensuring interventions respond to community needs.
Modie: Communication is how we make progress
In her goodwill message delivered by Mrs Chioma Ikenna-Ibeh, Head of Business at The Radah Media Company, Dr Modie said climate action should be viewed not just as an environmental responsibility but as a development issue affecting energy access, food security, infrastructure and wellbeing.
She said governments must provide clear policy direction, the private sector must contribute investment and practical solutions, development partners must support finance and expertise, and communities must shape interventions affecting their lives.
She stressed that collaboration must go beyond bringing groups together to establishing shared priorities, defined responsibilities and accountability for results.
Modie also highlighted strategic communication as a critical driver of implementation, noting that it should be integrated from the beginning rather than added after decisions are made.
“Communication is not merely how we report progress. It is one of the ways we make progress possible,” she said.
“Ultimately, the credibility of our climate commitments will not be determined by what we promise together, but by what we deliver together,” she added.
Both addresses emphasised that partnerships and accountability would determine whether Africa’s climate ambitions translate into concrete improvements in livelihoods and resilience.
