By Faridat Salifu
As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu celebrates two years in office, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment has taken stock of itself environmental policy reform, international engagement, and institutional restructuring, lamenting persistent challenges.
However, issues such as underfunding, enforcement gaps, and delayed implementation continue to pose significant challenges to its effective delivery of key policies and projects.
Since the appointment of Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal as Minister of Environment in October 2023, the Ministry has overseen several nationally significant initiatives, including the revitalization of the Ogoni Cleanup, the planting of over 45 million trees across six geopolitical zones, and the introduction of the National Clean Cooking Policy aimed at reducing indoor air pollution and slowing deforestation.
International engagement has also intensified. At COP28 in Dubai in December 2023, Nigeria helped form the Ministerial Alliance for Nature Finance, a coalition advocating for $20 billion in annual biodiversity financing to developing countries. The move positioned Nigeria as a proactive player in global climate finance negotiations.
Domestically, the Ministry continues implementing the Climate Change Act, passed in 2021, which mandates a national climate action plan and a five-year carbon budget.
Oversight is handled by the National Council on Climate Change, inaugurated in 2022. In April 2024, Lawal announced a federal ban on single-use plastics, scheduled to begin in January 2025, making Nigeria one of the few African countries with such a policy.
The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in Northern Nigeria also expanded during 2024, reclaiming over 350,000 hectares of degraded land in northern Nigeria, particularly in Borno, Katsina, and Yobe states.
The program combined land restoration with climate-resilient agricultural practices and community inclusion.
Also in a shift linking environmental degradation with national security, the Ministry in March 2024 launched a forest guard expansion program in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
By July, guards were deployed to areas including Cross River, Taraba, and Zamfara, with a mandate to combat illegal logging, poaching, and related environmental crimes.
The Ministry also played a central role in Nigeria’s 2024 flood preparedness and response. Starting in March, early warnings and planning support were issued to states.
When floods hit in July and August, the Ministry coordinated with NEMA and other agencies for emergency relief. In October, a policy review was initiated on floodplain management to strengthen climate adaptation frameworks.
A broader water-focused initiative included renewed engagement on Lake Chad restoration, with partnerships brokered between May and November 2024 with the UAE, European Union, and Canadian government.
Efforts included irrigation schemes, water reallocation strategies, and support for regional climate adaptation across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.
While the Federal Ministry of Environment under Lawal has achieved measurable progress in both policy and operations, systemic challenges remain.
Despite a ₦64.2 billion allocation in the 2025 federal budget, ₦59.9 billion for capital projects, it was reported that environmental agencies have lamented funding gaps.
The National Park Service, was quoted as saying that it requires an additional ₦5.01 billion in 2025 to address insecurity and illegal mining.
The Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) also cited late disbursements and inadequate funding as major constraints, limiting research and forest conservation efforts.
These budgetary limitations, it was observed, have affected core operations and new projects alike, thereby raising concerns about the Ministry’s ability to scale up its environmental protection agenda and meet targets under the Climate Change Act and international conventions.
On single-use plastics ban, while the decision has been praised by environmentalists, the move has triggered concern among manufacturers and small businesses. According to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the ban could disrupt local production and supply chains.
Stakeholders warn that without sufficient alternatives and phased incentives, job losses and non-compliance could follow.
Experience in Lagos State, where styrofoam was banned in January 2024, reflects potential pitfalls: inconsistent enforcement, emergence of black markets, and high costs of eco-friendly substitutes have undermined effectiveness.
The federal government’s phased rollout beginning with its own institutions offers a strategic entry point, but implementation will require stronger awareness campaigns and support for green manufacturing.
A report by Punch stated that the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has remained unfunded since 2024, when it was excluded from federal allocations.
Although 13 other regulatory bodies were reinstated following earlier removals, EHCON has not been included. This has raised concerns about regulatory oversight in environmental health at a time when pollution-related diseases are on the rise.
The House Committee on Environment acknowledged EHCON’s relevance and expressed readiness to work with the Ministry to restore funding. However, the council’s limited operational capacity continues to affect public health and sanitation enforcement nationwide.
On the issue of flooding and erosion, the federal government allocated ₦6 billion in the 2025 budget for erosion and flood control projects under the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP). Target states include Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Kaduna, Borno, and the Federal Capital Territory.
But environmentalists caution that timely fund disbursement, transparent procurement, and strong monitoring mechanisms are vital to prevent project abandonment. Long-term solutions will also require climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable land-use planning to mitigate future risks.
The Ministry’s ability to deliver long-term, scalable outcomes will depend on deeper institutional reforms, improved coordination across government tiers, and sustained public-private partnerships.
As Nigeria works toward 2030 climate and sustainability targets, including planting 100 million trees under the Great Green Wall and implementing its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the focus must shift from project announcements to measurable outcomes.
How well the Ministry addresses these structural gaps in the years ahead will define the lasting impact of its current environmental agenda.