By joshua KSCCA DG: KOGI TAKING BOLD STEPS TO LEAD SUB-NATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION IN NIGERIA
…Agency to coordinate climate finance, tree planting, resilient agriculture as World Environment Day 2026 holds
The Pioneer Director General of the Kogi State Climate Change Agency, KSCCA, has said Kogi is positioning itself among Nigeria’s emerging leaders in subnational climate governance, with bold institutional reforms and a renewed commitment to climate resilience.
Speaking at the 2026 World Environment Day celebration organized by N-HYPPADEC in collaboration with the Kogi State Ministry of Environment and KSCCA, the DG described climate change as “a development issue, an economic issue, a security issue, and ultimately a people-centered governance issue.”
He commended Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo for elevating climate action through the establishment of KSCCA, appointment of Kogi’s first Special Adviser on Climate Change, and integration of climate considerations into state development planning across agriculture, energy, water, health and infrastructure. He said the administration had also developed a Climate Change Policy to mainstream statewide action, in line with the Paris Agreement, Nigeria’s National Climate Change Act 2021, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The DG noted that the global climate discourse has shifted from mere environmental protection to issues of economic competitiveness, food security, public health and infrastructure resilience. He said developing countries like Nigeria bear a disproportionate share of climate impacts despite low historical emissions, making climate justice and adaptation urgent priorities.
On this year’s theme, “Inspire Nature. For Climate. For Our Future”, he emphasized tree planting as one of the most practical nature-based solutions. “Trees are nature’s most effective carbon capture technology,” he said, but urged Kogi residents to plant the right trees in the right places and commit to nurturing forests, not just ceremonial planting.
He identified flooding along major rivers, land degradation, erosion, deforestation, declining agricultural productivity and urban environmental challenges as key threats facing Kogi communities. Addressing them, he said, requires integrated planning, evidence-based policy, and long-term investment — the rationale behind KSCCA’s creation.
The agency, he explained, will coordinate climate action across MDAs, support policy implementation, facilitate climate finance mobilization, strengthen partnerships with development partners and the private sector, and promote climate-resilient livelihoods and community-based adaptation.
The DG urged a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, listing priorities for the next decade: climate-resilient agriculture, ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure, clean energy transition, youth and green jobs, and climate finance mobilization.
He concluded: “The future is not something we inherit. The future is something we create through the decisions we make today.” He thanked Governor Ododo, N-HYPPADEC, the Ministry of Environment led by Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun Stephen, and all stakeholders for strengthening Kogi’s resolve to protect the environment.
The event featured goodwill messages and tree planting by the Governor and dignitaries to mark World Environment Day 2026. Similarly, the event witnessed a walk across major streets of Lokoja.