Commonwealth Secretariat, UN Agency, City of London, Others Back Nigeria’s Climate Investment Summit

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Prominent global institutions, including the Commonwealth Secretariat, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll), and the City of London, as well as the Worshipful Company of Fuellers, have thrown their weight behind the inaugural Nigeria Climate Investment Summit (NCIS), scheduled to hold in London in June 2026.

The summit, a flagship programme of London Climate Action Week, is expected to convene senior Nigerian policymakers, global investors, development finance institutions, and private sector leaders to deepen engagement on climate finance and energy transition opportunities in Nigeria.

In a statement in Abuja signed by the Chief Executive, SOStainability, Oke Epia, and Melini Mehra, CEO of GLOBE Legislators, the organisers said the event would serve as a structured platform to showcase Nigeria’s evolving climate policy landscape, highlight bankable green investment opportunities, and position the country as a competitive destination for sustainable capital.

SOStainability is a global enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainability and responsible climate action across businesses, communities, governments, and non-governmental entities, while GLOBE Legislators is a non-partisan, cross-party parliamentary organisation dedicated to improving governance for sustainable development.

Participants will include members of the National Assembly, heads of ministries and agencies, state governors, regulators, and corporate leaders, alongside international stakeholders and diaspora investment networks, the statement said.

The NCIS will focus on emerging opportunities driven by recent policy developments such as Nigeria’s National Carbon Market Framework, updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and reforms under the Electricity Act 2023. It is also expected to facilitate deal-making, foster partnerships, and strengthen Nigeria’s engagement in global climate diplomacy ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.

According to the organisers, the summit will leverage partnerships with multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), as well as climate-focused organisations and philanthropic bodies, to drive investment flows into renewable energy and transition projects.

For its part, the Commonwealth Secretariat noted that the summit aligns with its ongoing collaboration with Nigeria on climate data systems and gender inclusion. It emphasised that improved transparency and data infrastructure would enhance investor confidence and help scale sustainability-aligned capital into the country.

Senior Director for Climate Change and Oceans at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Suresh Yadav, said Nigeria’s efforts to develop a national climate and gender data framework signal a commitment to meeting global investment standards, adding that such initiatives would help de-risk ESG considerations and strengthen the country’s appeal to international investors.

Also speaking, sponsor of Nigeria’s Climate Change Law and President-designate of GLOBE Legislators, Sam Onuigbo, described the summit as a critical milestone for Nigeria’s green industrialisation ambitions, urging both domestic and international stakeholders to take advantage of the platform to unlock investment opportunities.

He said: “The Nigeria Climate Investment Summit will be a pivotal moment for green industrialisation for Nigeria as it seeks to leverage the global convergence of key actors at London Climate Action Week to showcase the Nigerian landscape, especially the policies and investment opportunities. It is therefore critical that both local and international actors take it seriously and prepare to maximise the opportunities.”

The NCIS is being convened by SOStainability and GLOBE Legislators, with a focus on strengthening the role of lawmakers in climate policy formulation and oversight. The partnership is expected to deepen legislative engagement while promoting accountability and alignment with global sustainability standards.

Organisers added that the summit would also unveil new accountability frameworks aimed at tracking ESG performance across corporate Nigeria, while reinforcing London’s role as a global hub for raising transition finance and supporting net-zero ambitions.

“The summit will reaffirm, with demonstrable evidence, Nigeria’s position as the destination of choice for climate finance, green investments, and delivery of SDG 7 on energy access; broker deals and initiate twinning opportunities for investment uptake and sustainable, productive partnerships around energy access, renewables, and transition projects.

“(It will also) support engagement by leading Nigerian lawmakers and subnational leaders with global energy and climate diplomacy, ahead of COP 31 in Antalya, Turkey; and offer policy recommendations and clear implementation pathways, including through Nigeria’s NDC on advancing climate action with intergovernmental and policy partners.

“NCIS London will leverage the work of intergovernmental organisations and multilateral development agencies, including the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), NDC Partnership, and philanthropic institutions such as Ashden, African Climate Foundation, and the Earthshot Prize.

“The summit will also leverage the proven paradigms of key London-based institutions and initiatives, including the UK and City of London Corporation’s Transition Finance Council, which are positioning London as the best place in the world to credibly raise transition capital, invest, and obtain financial and professional services in support of UK and global net zero ambitions, including in key trading partners such as Nigeria,” the statement added.

The London Climate Action Week is the leading and most consequential global climate platform, working with the Conference of the Parties (COP) Presidencies and the UNFCCC to build momentum and shape diplomacy and investment ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.

LCAW annually convenes governments, trade representatives, development finance institutions, asset managers, corporates, and philanthropic capital into a concentrated week of formal and informal engagement across Westminster and the City of London.