Nigeria Hosts Landmark Peacebuilding and Climate Resilience Forum in Abuja

Nigeria has begun hosting a groundbreaking three-day Peer Learning Forum on Peacebuilding and National Adaptation Plan Processes in Abuja, bringing together government representatives from across Africa to address the critical intersection of climate change and violent conflict.

The forum, which opens on May 5 and runs through May 7, 2026, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, is co-hosted by the National Adaptation Plan Global Network, the Government of Canada, and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment. Participants include delegates from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia, Somalia, and South Sudan, all nations grappling with the dual challenges of climate vulnerability and fragility.

The Director of the Department of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, underscored Nigeria’s commitment to embedding peacebuilding within its climate agenda. “As we grapple with the impacts of climate change, linking adaptation and peacebuilding efforts are high on Nigeria’s climate agenda,” she said. “Despite the challenges, we recognize the urgent need to design conflict-sensitive national adaptation plans that align with our peacebuilding and development objectives. This event represents an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and exchange to leverage national adaptation plan processes for policy dialogue, trust, and peacebuilding.”

Dr. Abiola-Awe further noted that conflict-affected states and communities are often acutely vulnerable to climate impacts yet struggle to prioritise adaptation while grappling with immediate needs such as security and restoring public services. “In spite of the fragmented responses in conflict-affected settings, several countries are striving to integrate conflict and peacebuilding considerations into adaptation priorities through their NAP processes,” she explained.

Anne Hammill, Associate Vice-President for Resilience at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, which hosts the NAP Global Network Secretariat, said the forum aims to foster honest discussions among participants. “Many conflict-affected states are also among the most vulnerable to climate change. The NAP process can help to break this cycle,” Hammill stated. “Through this peer learning event, we are aiming to foster open and honest discussions among participants on leveraging the NAP process for peacebuilding.”

The forum’s objectives include discussing National Adaptation Plan implementation in fragile regions, aligning adaptation strategies with peacebuilding agendas, showcasing adaptation measures that deliver peacebuilding co-benefits, and enabling technical peer-to-peer exchanges among African nations. According to a statement by Haruna Ibrahim, Director of Information at the Ministry of Environment, participants include representatives from African NAP teams and Ministries of Environment, Security, and Peacebuilding.

The NAP Global Network has engaged more than 1,000 adaptation planners from 84 countries through peer learning initiatives, and this latest forum is supported with funding from the Government of Ireland. The dialogue is expected to produce practical strategies for managing climate threats while reducing tensions and instability across some of Africa’s most vulnerable regions.