WEP Nigeria raises awareness on National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change

On the 18th of March 2021, Nigeria launched their National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change (NAPGCC) from the capital of Abuja. WECF supports Women Environmental Programme (WEP) in their efforts to raise awareness about this Action Plan and advocates for the plan’s implementation at the sub-national level.

WEP organized several activities as part of the project: “Strengthening Capacity for Implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change at Sub-National Levels in Nigeria” – with funding from WECF International. You can read here more about WEP’s fruitful advocacy visits to stakeholders in Nasarawa State and the sensitization workshop for States in Nigeria’s North-central region.

underrepresentation of women

 As we know, women are generally disproportionately affected by climate change and yet remain underrepresented in climate change decision-making processes, whilst they are important actors for effective and fair change. Successful implementation of the NAPGCC at the sub-national level in Nigeria is key to bringing about this necessary change. As Greg Odogwu for Nigerian newspaper PUNCH summarizes; “[j]ust like the mother project at the national level, the state initiative has as its main goal, to ensure that local climate change efforts in the state mainstream gender considerations so that women, children and other vulnerable groups can have access to, participate in, contribute to and optimally benefit from climate change initiatives, programmes, policies and funds.”

National Action Plan on Gender and Climate
 
Between the 2nd and 5th of August, WEP visited stakeholders in Nasarawa State. WEP reflects on their visit, stating that “[i]nterestingly, all the stakeholders expressed laudable commitments and pledged their support to promote gender mainstreaming in climate change actions and to support actions that will enhance environmental sustainability. On these occasions, stakeholders were also informed about the sensitization workshop taking place in Nasarawa one month later. 

Ms. Anne-Marie Abaagu Executive Director WEP on 2nd of September

The sensitization workshop –  part of the “Strengthening Capacity for Implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change at Sub-National Levels in Nigeria project, –  took place on the 2nd of September and was attended by a wide array of participants. Participants were present from “all the North-central States including FCT” and included people from “relevant agencies of government, civil society organizations and the media. The event was kicked off by Executive Director of WEP Ms Anne-Marie Abaagu, followed by speeches from several CommissionersAfterwards, participants took part in a workshop where they “were equipped with knowledge on the concept of climate change as well as mitigation and adaptation measures,” 3 WEP shares in their recap of the event. Furthermore, the partakers were “taken through the journey of the NAPGCC; its inception, the process involved in its development and when it was launched. Thereafter, participants went into State group work to develop actions that will guide the implementation of the Action Plan in their respective States.  

 We congratulate WEP on the success of these events!