World Environment Day 2026: Experts raise the as climate disasters intensify globally

As global climate disasters intensify, World Environment Day 2026 serves as a critical reminder of the urgent need for robust climate action. In Nigeria, this urgency is reflected in a developing legal and regulatory framework aimed at mitigating climate change impacts and fostering resilience. This article examines Nigeria's key legislative and policy responses, including the Climate Change Act 2021, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act. It delves into the constitutional underpinnings of environmental protection and the nascent but growing landscape of climate change litigation, highlighting both the progress made and the persistent challenges in implementation and enforcement that legal practitioners must navigate.

World Environment Day 2026 arrives amidst a stark global reality: climate disasters are intensifying at an alarming rate, demanding immediate and comprehensive responses from nations worldwide. From devastating floods to prolonged droughts and extreme weather events, the impacts are increasingly felt, particularly in vulnerable regions like Africa. This critical juncture underscores the imperative for robust legal and policy frameworks to drive climate action, not merely as aspirational goals but as enforceable mandates.

In Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and a significant economy, the escalating climate crisis presents multifaceted challenges to sustainable development and human well-being. The country has demonstrated a commitment to addressing these challenges through a series of legislative enactments and policy initiatives. This article will explore the evolution and current state of Nigeria's legal and regulatory landscape concerning climate change, assessing its strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and outlining the implications for legal practitioners engaged in environmental law, corporate governance, and human rights advocacy.

Nigeria's commitment to environmental protection and climate action is rooted in its constitutional provisions and a progressively evolving statutory framework. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), though not explicitly focused on climate change, lays a foundational principle in Section 20, which mandates that "the State shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria." While traditionally considered non-justiciable as part of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, judicial interpretations have increasingly linked environmental degradation to fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life (Section 33) and dignity of the human person (Section 34).

Prior to dedicated climate change legislation, environmental governance was primarily guided by statutes such as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Establishment) Act 2007 (NESREA Act) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act 1992. The NESREA Act established the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, empowering it to enforce environmental standards, regulations, and international agreements to which Nigeria is a signatory, and to make regulations on various environmental matters including air and water quality, and waste control. The EIA Act, enacted following incidents like the Koko toxic waste dumping, mandates environmental impact assessments for major development projects, ensuring that potential environmental effects are identified and mitigated before project approval, and includes provisions for public consultation.

The cornerstone of Nigeria's contemporary climate change legal framework is the Climate Change Act 2021. Signed into law in November 2021, this Act provides a comprehensive legal framework for Nigeria to achieve its climate goals, including an overarching objective of achieving net-zero emissions between 2050 and 2070, aligning with the former President's commitment at COP26 to reach net-zero by 2060. Key provisions of the Act include the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change, responsible for implementing the National Climate Change Action Plan and managing a newly instituted Climate Change Fund. Crucially, the Act mandates the government to set a National Climate Change Action Plan and a five-year carbon budget with quantified annual objectives, and compels private entities with 50 or more employees to implement measures to achieve annual carbon emission reduction targets.

Nigeria has also significantly updated its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The latest submission, NDC 3.0, made in September 2025, pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29% by 2030 and 32% by 2035, relative to 2018 levels. These targets are supported by concrete actions, such as phasing out routine gas flaring by 2030 and aiming for 50% of the national power mix to come from renewables by the same year. The National Climate Change Policy for Nigeria 2021 further outlines a holistic framework for fostering a low-carbon, climate-resilient society through mitigation and adaptation measures.

Despite this robust legislative and policy architecture, challenges persist, particularly in enforcement and implementation. While the NESREA Act empowers the agency to enforce environmental standards, issues such as inadequate capacity, limited funding, and coordination gaps can hinder effective compliance monitoring and regulatory action. Climate change litigation in Nigeria is still in its nascent stages, though landmark cases like *Gbemre v. Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd* have established a precedent for linking environmental degradation, specifically gas flaring, to violations of fundamental human rights to life and human dignity. More recently, the Supreme Court's decision in *Centre for Oil Pollution Watch v. NNPC* expanded the frontiers of locus standi in environmental litigation, potentially easing access to justice for affected communities. The Climate Change Act 2021 is anticipated to provide a stronger legal basis for future climate litigation, particularly against corporate entities failing to meet emission reduction targets.

However, the effectiveness of these legal instruments is contingent on their rigorous application. Gaps remain in translating ambitious policy statements into tangible, measurable outcomes across all sectors. The reliance on international support for financing Nigeria's NDC targets, estimated at US$337 billion between 2026 and 2035, also presents a potential vulnerability if such support does not materialize adequately. Furthermore, while the EIA Act mandates public participation, its effectiveness is sometimes hampered by limited public engagement and transparency issues.

The intensifying global climate disasters underscore the critical importance of Nigeria's evolving legal and regulatory framework for climate action. The Climate Change Act 2021, alongside the NESREA Act and EIA Act, provides a comprehensive, albeit still developing, legal foundation for mitigation, adaptation, and environmental protection. The nation's updated NDCs reflect a heightened ambition to transition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy, with specific targets for emissions reduction and renewable energy integration.

For legal practitioners, this landscape presents both opportunities and responsibilities. There is a growing scope for climate litigation, particularly in holding public and private entities accountable for their climate obligations and environmental impacts, building on precedents set in human rights and environmental cases. Attorneys must advise clients on compliance with the Climate Change Act's carbon budget requirements and emission reduction targets, as well as the ongoing obligations under environmental impact assessments. Furthermore, practitioners should monitor the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan and the operationalization of the Climate Change Fund, as these will shape future regulatory and enforcement priorities. The journey towards a truly climate-resilient Nigeria requires not only robust laws but also diligent enforcement, sustained political will, and active engagement from the legal community to ensure environmental justice and sustainable development.