By Abbas Nazil
Oxfam has concluded two major climate governance programmes in Nigeria after five years, celebrating significant community-led achievements under the ‘Power of Voices, Fair for All’ and ‘African Activists for Climate Justice’ initiatives.
At the close-out event in Abuja, Oxfam Country Director, John Makina, described the programmes as a journey defined by partnership, courage and transformation, noting that they demonstrated the impact of empowering communities to speak, act and lead in climate justice, governance and economic accountability.
Makina said the effort transcended a typical development intervention, emphasizing that the initiatives shifted power structures by amplifying community voices and ensuring citizens occupy a central place in governance and climate action across the country.
He highlighted key outcomes achieved over the past five years, including the cultivation of 15,500 seedlings through community nurseries and the distribution of 3,500 clean cooking stoves in Bauchi State to reduce emissions and improve public health.
The programmes also trained 256 community volunteers, including persons with disabilities, in briquette production and other nature-based solutions while supporting the development of new climate laws across participating communities.
According to Makina, Oxfam unlocked ₦15.5 billion in local climate financing and expanded climate-smart livelihoods, with activities such as beekeeping, briquette production and tree planting serving as concrete evidence of community progress.
Women beneficiaries reportedly earned between ₦150,000 and ₦300,000 from climate-friendly enterprises, while more than 10 million Nigerians were reached through the “Follow the Money” media platforms, which strengthened civic participation and accountability advocacy.
Makina also noted improvements in civic engagement through freedom of information coalitions, youth civic clubs and enhanced security commitments from the police, crediting implementing partners such as CISLAC, CODE and BudgIT for their role in driving the outcomes.
He further expressed appreciation to the Government of The Netherlands for funding the initiatives and enabling their nationwide impact.
Speaking on behalf of partners, CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Rafsanjani said the programmes delivered transformative reforms, strengthened tax justice campaigns, improved transparency in the extractive sector and boosted compliance with beneficial ownership rules.
Rafsanjani added that sustained civil advocacy under the programmes supported the passage of four new tax laws and contributed to government approval of more than one billion dollars for upgrading major ports.