Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Environmental stakeholders in the Niger Delta have urged Nigerians to demand concrete climate change and energy transition policies from political candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They made the call at the 2026 annual meeting of the Africa Just Transition Network (AJTN), held in Port Harcourt, with the theme: “Building Collective Power for a Just Transition in Nigeria.”

Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr. Michael David, said Nigerians needed to unite to demand policies that addressed climate change, food insecurity and energy poverty.

David said the 2027 election campaigns should focus on candidates’ plans to build climate resilience and ensure access to affordable, clean energy rather than being dominated by ethnic, religious and regional considerations.

He said vulnerable Nigerians struggling to meet basic needs often found it difficult to organise collectively, stressing that environmental protection and access to clean energy affected everyone.

According to him, Nigeria risks accumulating stranded fossil fuel assets as the world transitions to cleaner energy, while communities continue to suffer pollution from oil and coal operations.

David said the country already had policies, including the Climate Change Act and Just Transition Policy, but implementation remained weak, particularly at state and local government levels.

He urged state governments to utilise the Electricity Act, which empowers them to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, to expand access to clean energy.

The GIFSEP executive director also called for increased investment in clean cooking solutions, noting that the high cost of gas forced many households to rely on firewood and charcoal, exposing women to harmful pollution.

Coordinator of the Africa Just Transition Network, Mr. Friday Nbani, said the organisation was working with community groups and civil society organisations to address gas flaring, coal mining and other activities contributing to climate change.

Nbani said the network, which had 88 member organisations across 28 African countries, would develop a roadmap for engaging government on environmental protection and a fair energy transition.

He said community awareness and education were essential to ensuring that the transition did not undermine livelihoods, adding that the network would advocate increased investment in renewable energy and climate finance.

Also speaking, Co-lead of the Africa Just Transition Network in Nigeria, Dr. Stella Amanie urged government to ensure that energy transition policies were affordable, inclusive and gradual, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.

Amanie, who is also Executive Director of the Society for Women and Youth Affairs, said communities must be carried along in the transition to cleaner energy to prevent further hardship.

A participant from Benue, Agernor Torkuma, said growing adoption of solar energy in Nigerian homes demonstrated the potential of renewable energy, but called for measures to address affordability concerns and the country’s dependence on crude oil revenue.