Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management: A Legislative Agenda for Resilience in Nigeria
Working Paper
Nigeria is increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters, yet its disaster management system remains reactive due to fragmented laws, weak coordination, inadequate funding, and poor early warning systems. Despite existing frameworks such as the Climate Change Act (2021) and the Act establishing the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), gaps persist. This policy brief argues for strengthening Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks to enhance climate adaptation, mitigation, and disaster response. It recommends legislative reforms to improve funding, institutional coordination, early warning systems, and sub-nationalimplementation. Strengthening these areas will enhance national resilience and reduce the socioeconomic impacts of climate-related disasters. This brief recommends a comprehensive legislative approach, including enacting a unified Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Act, amending the NEMA Act, establishing a Climate and Disaster Resilience Fund, and developing an integrated early warning system to enhance preparedness and resilience