By Abbas Nazil
Climate change expert, Professor Emmanuel Oladipo has urged the Federal Government, state governments, private-sector stakeholders, communities and citizens to strengthen collaboration and investment in measures to mitigate the growing impacts of climate change in Nigeria.
Prof. Oladipo made the call on Tuesday at the National Arts Theatre during his keynote address at a Climate Stakeholder Townhall Meeting organised by the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour (REHCCAT) in partnership with the Lagos State Government.
He urged governments to bridge the gap between climate policies and enforcement, adequately fund resilience plans and protect wetlands despite the political challenges associated with such measures.
Prof Oladipo said failure to take decisive action would ultimately cost more than investing in climate resilience.
He also called on private-sector stakeholders to treat climate resilience as a risk-management priority rather than merely a corporate social responsibility initiative.
According to him, flooding of roads, business premises and other critical infrastructure should be regarded as a business continuity risk requiring appropriate investment in resilient infrastructure.
He urged citizens and communities to plant and nurture trees, avoid dumping refuse in drainage channels and speak out against the encroachment of wetlands.
Oladipo said community participation was essential to building climate resilience, stressing that effective action must extend from government institutions to individual households.
He identified Lagos as particularly vulnerable to climate change because of its extensive wetlands, lagoons and reclaimed land, its low elevation and rapidly growing population.
He warned that projected sea-level rise could further expose the state to flooding and other climate-related hazards, particularly in vulnerable coastal communities.
The expert commended the Lagos State Government for its climate initiatives, including the Lagos Climate Action Plan, which targets an emission-neutral city by 2050.
He also highlighted the state’s 2026 campaign to plant 20,000 trees, noting that 67 per cent of the target had reportedly been achieved by the middle of the year.
Prof. Oladipo further cited the Lagos State Health Adaptation Plan for 2026 to 2030, which incorporates climate risks into healthcare planning, as well as efforts to remove illegal structures from wetlands and drainage channels.
He said community-led clean-up activities and mangrove restoration efforts in areas including Apapa and Lagos Island were also contributing to environmental resilience.
He encouraged other states to strengthen climate action based on their specific environmental vulnerabilities and to adopt approaches that bring government, businesses and communities into coordinated action.
Prof. Oladipo maintained that climate resilience required sustained commitment from all sectors of society, particularly as climate-related risks increasingly threaten infrastructure, livelihoods, public health and economic activities.
