FG to establish climate division in women affairs ministry
The Federal Government has announced plans to establish a Climate Division within the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to spearhead sustainable, gender-responsive, and age-sensitive climate initiatives.
The ministry is also set to launch a Women in Green Economy Project in 2025, aiming to empower one million women in climate-smart agriculture and train 2,000 community-based female climate champions.
The Minister for Women’s Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this on Wednesday during her address at the ongoing United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh.
She stated, “We have committed to establishing a Climate Division in the Ministry to coordinate and drive sustainable gender-responsive and age-sensitive climate actions. Furthermore, we will introduce a Women in Green Economy Programme in 2025.
“Under this programme, we will engage women in planting 10 million economic trees and plants, including the Nopal Cactus Cladodes, known for combating desertification and improving soil health.
“We will empower one million women in climate-smart agriculture, transition one million households to clean cooking energy, support 1,000 female-owned climate-friendly startups, train 500,000 women in agro-processing, and equip 2,000 community-based female climate champions to aid data collection and sensitisation in their communities.”
Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted Nigeria’s recent strides in combating climate change, including enacting the Climate Change Bill, establishing the National Council on Climate Change, and launching the Energy Transition Plan.
She emphasised the critical role of women in addressing environmental challenges, describing climate change as a women’s issue:
“If we are to win this fight and reverse the effects of climate change, we must provide women with platforms and tools to participate, contribute, and drive the solutions the world urgently needs to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The minister further noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to addressing climate change and has established a committee to oversee the Green Economic Initiative, a strategic plan to tackle climate challenges in Nigeria.
“We remain steadfastly committed to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and will ensure full alignment with existing policy frameworks,” she added.
