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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has launched the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour (REHCCAT), marking the beginning of a nationwide campaign aimed at strengthening climate resilience and promoting sustainable development across Nigeria.
The President, represented by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, unveiled the initiative in Abuja, describing it as a national call to action that goes beyond a series of events.
“Today we launched a movement, the Renewed Hope Climate Change Awareness Tour. It is more than a programme of events across our states; it is a national call to action, a call to innovation and opportunity,” Tinubu said. He warned that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present reality affecting farmers in northern Nigeria facing desert encroachment, coastal communities in the south grappling with erosion and flooding, and businesses dealing with rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions.
According to the President, while climate change presents risks, it also offers opportunities for economic transformation. He noted that the global transition to low-carbon development is accelerating, with capital flows, markets and technology shifting toward green growth.
“Nigeria stands at a defining moment in history. The nations that position themselves wisely today will lead tomorrow. We intend to be one of those nations,” he said.
Tinubu explained that the tour would take climate awareness beyond conference halls into communities, engaging governors, traditional rulers, students, innovators, farmers, entrepreneurs and financial institutions. He said the initiative would identify bankable projects, unlock local solutions and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to mobilise climate finance at scale.
He stressed that Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement require practical implementation backed by investment. “Commitments must be matched with action, and action must be supported by investment. This tour helps bridge that gap,” he stated, adding that it would also deepen understanding of carbon markets and green finance while inspiring a new generation of climate leaders.
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The President described climate resilience as a matter of national security and insisted that climate finance should be viewed as a strategic investment rather than charity.
Speaking at the event, Lawal, represented by the Director of Forestry, Halima Bawa, called for stronger state-level climate governance through reforms, performance rankings and collaboration. He noted that the enactment of the Climate Change Act 2021 established a legal framework for coordinated climate governance, carbon budgeting and a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2060. “Climate governance must move beyond the federal level; it must be domesticated at the subnational and grassroots levels,” he said.
Lawal highlighted several youth-focused initiatives, including the Eco-School Initiative, the Youth Climate Innovation Hub and the Uni-Go-Green Initiative, all designed to mainstream environmental education, promote green entrepreneurship and empower young Nigerians with skills in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and climate technology. Chairman of the REHCCAT Committee, Yussuf Olatunji Kelani, described the tour as a movement for knowledge-sharing, subnational alignment and investment mobilisation.
He said the initiative was conceived to democratise climate knowledge, bridge federal and state-level action in line with Nigeria’s NDCs and energy transition plan, and unlock innovation, green jobs and private sector participation.
Kelani disclosed that following the launch, the tour would move across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, beginning with two states per zone in the first phase. Activities will include high-level policy dialogues with governors and lawmakers, town hall meetings with community stakeholders, technical roundtables with development partners, and innovation showcases focusing on clean energy, waste-to-value solutions and climate-smart agriculture.
Guest speaker Babajide Alo advocated community-led adaptation strategies built on local knowledge and grassroots participation. He called for improved climate education, stronger enforcement mechanisms and enhanced capacity at the state and local government levels to implement sustainable solutions.
Tinubu also announced the appointment of Ibrahim Shelleng as Senior Special Assistant on Climate Change and Olamide Fagbuji as Special Assistant on Climate Change Financing. Both will serve as co-chairs of the REHCCAT committee alongside Kelani.
The launch signals the Federal Government’s renewed push to integrate climate action into Nigeria’s broader development strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda, positioning the country as a potential leader in Africa’s green transition.
