By Abdullahi Lukman
Nigeria has taken its land restoration and drought resilience agenda to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, COP17, with a call for stronger investment, technology transfer and science-driven policies to tackle desertification at home.
With the theme “Restoring land, restoring hope,” COP17 has brought together governments, scientists, farmers, pastoralists and civil society from over 190 countries in Ulaanbaatar this week to agree on concrete actions to combat land degradation.
Nigeria’s delegation is expected to present the country’s shift under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from crisis response to prediction and preparedness in managing land degradation.
According to delegation sources, Nigeria’s position at COP17 is that desertification is not just an environmental issue. It is about food security, livelihoods, water and peace in communities. The delegation noted that the conference provides an opportunity to learn, partner, and bring home solutions that work for farmers, pastoralists and everyone in the food security value chain. The emphasis presented by the team is on shifting from emergency response to systems that anticipate drought and build resilience, so that communities do not have to wait for the next dry spell before acting.
NatureNews notes that the Nigerian delegation is amplifying three priority areas aligned with its climate commitments under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
As a first priority, according to a source, Nigeria is expanding soil testing, conservation agriculture and agroforestry across the Sahel and Guinea Savanna to rebuild soil fertility and boost yields.
Through the Great Green Wall and state-led projects, the country is reclaiming gullied lands in the southeast, degraded farmlands in the north, and critical watersheds, a restoration officials described as an investment in jobs and rural economies.
With 2026 declared the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, sources say Nigeria is advocating for grazing reserves, water points and conflict prevention mechanisms. The delegation emphasized that pastoral mobility is a climate adaptation strategy that must be planned for.
Nigeria is also pushing for a stronger UNCCD Science Policy Interface to bridge the gap between research and policy, as its bilateral meetings in Ulaanbaatar are focused on securing technical assistance and financing for early warning systems and community-led restoration.
COP17 must translate to action in affected areas across Nigeria, an official told NatureNews, adding that restoring land is restoring hope for this generation and the next.
