For more than three decades, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has partnered Nigeria to confront critical environmental threats – from desert encroachment and biodiversity loss, to plastic pollution and the growing risks of climate change.
However, questions arise in whether this huge global environmental financing has delivered real, measurable impacts on the ground.
The need to strengthen the capacity of the Operational Focal Points (OFPs) and implementing partners to oversee and deliver the GEF- supported environmental projects formed the thrust of conversations at a 2-day National Workshop in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
Across the country, the signs are impossible to ignore, advancing deserts in the North, polluted rivers in the South, disappearing forests, and plastic choking city waterways.
With support from a long-standing global partner, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Nigeria has over the years confronted these environmental challenges.
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The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari who represented the Nigerian Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, at the Abuja dialogue said that GEF-supported projects have made tangible contributions to environmental sustainability across Nigeria.
Officials told ait.live that measuring the impact on the ground has posed a significant challenge due to poor oversights.
That is why the Nigeria-focused workshop is critical, to equip the Operational Focal Points (OFPs) and implementing partners with the skills to plan, implement, monitor, and manage GEF projects effectively.
For GEFs Global Desk Officer, Kabir Jedda, Nigeria’s shortfall in counterpart funding, estimated at $9 million has limited the country’s full access to Global Environment Facility benefits.
He however noted that the Federal government is taking steps to address the issue.
Organized by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with support from the Tropical Biology Association and Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), the workshop focuses on ensuring that global funding turns into real solutions – cleaner environments, protected ecosystems, and safer livelihoods for the people.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
