The federal government has pledged support for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) initiative aimed at mobilising investment to address climate-induced migration in West and Central Africa.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, made the commitment on Tuesday in Lagos at a regional conference organised by the IOM.

The conference was targeted at bridging the gap between climate change policy and the actual climate financing.

Mr Lawal, represented by the director of climate change in the ministry, Iniobong Abiola-Awe, said Nigeria would continue to support efforts to bridge the gap between climate policy and financing.

The conference with the theme “Migration and Climate Action in West and Central Africa: From Policy Commitment to Climate Mobility Investment” brought together policymakers, development partners and financial institutions.

Mr Lawal said the region was facing increasing environmental pressures, including desertification in the Sahel, coastal erosion in the Gulf of Guinea and flooding across major river basins.

According to him, the climate-related challenges are disrupting livelihoods and compelling people to migrate, relocate or become displaced.

“As widely recognised, climate change acts as a threat multiplier, intensifying vulnerabilities and influencing migration decisions.

“However, we must shift our perspective. Mobility is not only a crisis to be managed but also a form of adaptation and a pathway to resilience when properly harnessed,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria had taken proactive steps through its National Adaptation Plan, which provides a long-term framework for building resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate risks.

He said the plan prioritised climate-resilient agriculture, water resource management, disaster risk reduction, urban resilience, infrastructure and ecosystem-based adaptation.

Mr Lawal added that Nigeria was integrating human mobility into its climate policy frameworks, recognising migration as a legitimate adaptation strategy rather than solely a consequence of failed adaptation.

He said the country’s approach aligned with the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change.

Mr Lawal stressed the need for greater investment in climate finance, resilient infrastructure, livelihoods and stronger regional cooperation.

“Without adequate investment, policy commitments risk remaining aspirational,” he said.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate with regional partners, development institutions and the private sector to strengthen climate mobility governance and institutional capacity.

In her opening remarks, the IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Sylvia Ekra, said climate change was already reshaping livelihoods, economies and migration patterns across the region.

She said more than two million people in West and Central Africa had already been displaced by disasters.

According to her, up to 32 million people in the region may be forced to move internally by 2050 if inclusive and effective climate action is not taken.

“Mobility is not only a crisis. It is also part of the solution, enabling people to adapt, manage risks and preserve livelihoods,” she said.

Ms Ekra noted that while policy frameworks existed, responses remained fragmented and insufficient in scale.

She said the conference was significant because it brought together climate and migration stakeholders to jointly develop practical financing solutions.

Also speaking, the Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting IOM activities in Nigeria and across West and Central Africa.

Mr De Luca described the EU as one of the world’s largest funding partners in the area of migration and said it would continue to work closely with the IOM on climate and migration issues. 

(NAN)