Agencies Move to Strengthen Early Warnings in Nigerian Healthcare Sector  

Emma Okonji

The National Early Warning Services for Health (WISER) workshop has been organised by key agencies in Lagos, to further strengthen early warnings on climate change in the Nigerian healthcare sector.

The workshop is sequel to the federal government’s publication on the third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) in 2025, which called for the need to deliver a national integrated climate change, health and environmental early warning system with implementation in at least 18 states by 2030. 

Speaking at the workshop, Head of Health at the British High Commission in Abuja, Juliet Whitley, said: “Nigeria is leading the way in developing an early warning system that will better enable its health sector to prepare for and respond to extreme weather. The UK is proud to support Nigeria’s commitment to building a health system that is more resilient to climate change.”

Director and Head of Climate Change and Environmental Health Division, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Zakariya Mohammed, stated: “With the integration of health considerations into Nigeria’s recently submitted NDC 3.0, this workshop provides an excellent starting point for collaborative efforts toward establishing an operational early warning system for climate and health in Nigeria.”

Chief Disaster Risk Reduction Officer and Climate Change Desk Officer at NEMA, Isa Abulkasir, said; “As Nigeria integrates health into its NDC 3.0 framework, this workshop offers a timely opportunity to advance our collaborative efforts toward a climate-resilient health system. NEMA is committed to leveraging climate information and early warning systems to mitigate health risks, enhance community resilience, and reduce the impact of climate-sensitive diseases and disasters—building a safer, more resilient future for all Nigerians.”