By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Lawal, has encouraged women to participate actively in governance and decision-making around climate actions.
The Minister gave the encouragement at the validation of the National Green Women Platform (GWP), an initiative of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), on Tuesday in Abuja.
The initiative is designed to empower Nigerian women to take ownership of climate solutions affecting their lives, families, and communities.
DON'T MISS
The platform seeks to strengthen women’s participation in governance and decision-making around land use, natural resources, and climate action while granting them access to economic opportunities in reforestation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green enterprises.
The Minister, represented by the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics of the ministry, Agnes Aneke Nkechi, explained that the validation marks the beginning of concrete actions to restore degraded lands, create jobs, empower women and youth, and build resilient communities.
“We are affirming that Nigerian women are not simply victims of climate change but leaders of climate solutions. They are not passive beneficiaries but innovators and decision-makers. They are not on the sidelines but at the very center of the Great Green Wall,” he said.
“The Green Women Platform represents a movement for empowerment, advocacy, and transformation, enabling women to shape and drive sustainable environmental solutions nationwide.
“By validating and operationalizing this platform, Nigeria is strategically positioning itself for COP30 in Brazil. The success of the Green Women Platform will depend on partnerships and collective ownership.
“The government must continue to provide an enabling environment through policies and institutions.
The Director-General of NAGGW, Mr. Saleh Abubakar, described the Green Women Platform as a unique innovation within the Pan-African Great Green Wall initiative, designed to place women at the center of efforts to combat desertification, climate change, land degradation, and livelihood loss.
“The platform’s validation workshop allows stakeholders to finalize the GWP’s national framework, define its governance structures, and agree on a practical two-year action plan to guide implementation.
The Director-General urged stakeholders to fully engage in the deliberations to ensure a strong and inclusive platform that empowers women to build resilience, restore degraded lands, and promote sustainable livelihoods.
The Head of Research and Development at the Pan-African Great Green Wall Agency, Dr. Sakhoudia Thiam, underscored the importance of the platform in serving as an observatory for women’s rights and ensuring women’s full participation in local governance and access to natural resources.
The Regional Gender Officer of the World Food Programme (WFP), Ms. Fatimata Dieng, stated that the workshop is a critical step forward in positioning women as leaders of climate resilience and sustainable development.
She emphasized the need for collective action to create a future where women are not only beneficiaries but leaders of climate resilience and sustainable development.
The Green Women Platform demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to mainstreaming gender equality in the implementation of the Great Green Wall programme, ensuring that women play a central role in achieving national environmental and climate goals.
By establishing the platform, Nigeria aligns with the regional vision of the Pan-African Great Green Wall and reinforces its commitment to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The initiative also supports the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions an Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of its people, especially women and youth.
