Domesticate Draft Climate Change Law to Access Foreign Grants, Experts Tell African Leaders

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

Stakeholders on climate change in various African nations met in Abuja yesterday and urged their leaders to domesticate the draft model climate change law in their various countries.

The participants, who were mostly legal experts, spoke at the Validation Retreat on the Draft Model Climate Change Law for Africa.

The event was organised by the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and other partners.

The retreat was titled, “Strengthening National Parliaments for Oversight in Climate Action.” 

The African Climate Change Act was enacted following the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change on the African continent.

It was to promote sustainable development and to uphold the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Act establishes a comprehensive legal framework for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience building across African nations.

According to available information, parliaments of African countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Mauritius, South Africa, and Benin Republic, have passed the law.

The stakeholders on the occasion lamented that the non-domestication of the draft law by many African countries has made the continent lose huge funds to combat environmental challenges.

The Director General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, while welcoming told the participants that the year 2025 presents new challenges for global climate change governance and action in Africa. 

He said advanced countries may attempt to politicise commitments to climate agreements, but that the evidence from climate science remains indisputable.

He said, “The world today is warmer than it was just a few years ago. Consequently, all countries need to coordinate efforts that contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation policies, while minimising the losses and damages associated with climate change. 

“Despite progress made by other regions in global climate change negotiations at the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COPs), Africa continues to lag.  

“This is largely because African countries participated at COPs as individual nations rather than as a united bloc. 

“This fragmentation approach weakens Africa’s negotiating power and diminishes its ability to influence critical decisions and resolutions arising from these global gatherings.  

“While it is true that African countries face diverse development challenges resulting from adverse impacts of climate change, the continent has yet to prioritise the coordinated climate actions in desperate needs. 

“A significant barrier to achieving this coordination is the lack of comprehensive legal framework for climate action in many African countries. 

“Even in countries like Nigeria that have enacted climate legislation, gaps remain that must be addressed through targeted legislative interventions.”  

Sulaiman said the concept of a model climate change legislation was therefore timely and crucial. 

He said, “Its purpose is to inspire countries without existing legislation to adopt robust climate laws by leveraging the experiences of countries that have already implemented such framework. 

“At the same time, it provides an opportunity for countries with existing legal framework to identify and address shortcomings in their legal frameworks, thereby strengthening their capacity for effective climate action.”

He said it was the position of the Institute that many African countries should domesticate their climate change actions by enacting climate change laws.

He, however, said, doing so through the lens of the Model Climate Change Law  developed by AGNES, in collaboration with its partners, would enable these nations to solidify their positions.

He said they would act locally and better influence global stances during climate change negotiations.