Faith-based advocacy critical to achieve climate action in Nigeria

Experts on climate issues and clergymen from Christian and Islamic communities are urging for more effective climate policies and sustainable environmental sermons to mitigate challenges of climate change and unsustainable environmental practices in the country.

The officials made the call during the Interfaith Dialogue on Climate Change Summit, organised by Connected Development (CODE) on Thursday in Abuja.

At the dialogue, the experts and religious leaders underscored the imperative for collaborative efforts to safeguard the environment for the benefit of future generations.

The summit also featured the launch of the first Interfaith Dialogue on Climate Change Report & Policy Brief, highlighting strategic messaging and policy recommendations for faith-driven climate action.

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According to the organisers, the objective of the summit was to empower faith and community leaders to advocate climate justice, while expressing insights on the best possible strategies to communicate climate justice messaging using the power of faith communities.

“It is also an opportunity to present the first Interfaith Dialogue report, strategic messaging designed using the BERIC model, and its Policy Brief, which dissects the interconnection of climate and faith while putting forward actionable policy recommendations,” CODE said.

Climate change effects in Nigeria

In recent years, the increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as changing rainfall patterns and delayed rainfall, has significantly affected crop yields, livestock productivity, and farmers’ livelihoods. Flood disasters recorded across major food-producing regions in the past three years hit farmers the hardest.

In 2024, Nigeria’s disaster management agency, NEMA, said floods killed over 303 people and affected over 1.2 million persons. The disaster also injured over 2,712 people, inundated over 1161,539 hectares of farmland, and completely damaged 106,000 hectares.

NEMA said 673,333 people were also displaced. Meanwhile, several communities in at least 201 local government areas in over 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states were also affected by floods.

The lingering scourge of flooding experienced in the country within the past three years is evident in the current state of food availability, affordability and accessibility across the country.

Experts have argued that the impact of the floods experienced recently in the country would have been minimal had the necessary infrastructures needed to control floods across zones in the country been properly maintained by the government.

“Faith-based advocacy” way to go

In his remarks on Thursday, Connected Development (CODE) Chief Executive Officer, Hamzat Lawal, argued that faith-based advocacy is critical in addressing climate change effects.

He urged Nigerians to demand justice to ensure Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, is central to global climate discussions.

“Nigeria is one of the countries suffering the worst effects of climate change, yet we are not getting the resources we need to adapt,” Mr Lawal said.

On his part, Executive Director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, George Ehusani, a Reverend Father, emphasised the need for a radical shift in environmental policies.

Mr Ehusani also decried the widespread pollution and lack of proper waste management in Nigeria, noting that urgent policy interventions are needed.

“Religious organisations, civil society groups, and concerned citizens must mount pressure on our policymakers and legislators to take climate change seriously,” the cleric said.

“We cannot continue to pay lip service while our environment is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Nigerians have adjusted themselves to a high level of environmental degradation,” he added.

He said: “We see mountains of refuse, toxic waste in our rivers, and worsening air pollution, yet there is little action. If we do not act now, future generations will pay the price.”

In his intervention, the Executive Director of Da’awah Institute, Muhammad Nurudeen, said the country is facing an urgent crisis and they have a shared responsibility as religious leaders on this planet.

He emphasised that faith traditions teach environmental stewardship, but society fails in this duty.

“While science provides data, faith inspires action and guides leaders to act with justice and responsibility. Many conflicts in Nigeria are wrongly framed as religious or ethnic issues when they are driven by climate stress and resource scarcity,” Mr Nurudeen said.

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While the Islamic scholar criticised poor governance and misinformation, he argued that some leaders exploit religious divisions instead of addressing environmental problems.

He urged faith leaders to educate communities, promote interfaith climate initiatives, and push for sustainable policies.

“Faith provides the moral and ethical call to action that science alone cannot. We are not just victims of climate change—we are also stewards of this Earth,” Mr Nurudeen noted.

He said misinformation and tribalism will not solve our crisis—climate action will.

“Let us act now before it is too late—before we no longer have the opportunity to do so,” he added.