LEGAL PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND FOOD SECURITY IN KENYA AND NIGERIA

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces critical, interconnected challenges in climate change, energy access, and food security, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Focusing on Kenya and Nigeria as representative case studies, this paper examines how integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices for climate adaptation and food security into legal frameworks can enhance governance of the interconnected climate-energy-food nexus. By analysing specific cases, such as Maasai pastoralist strategies in Kenya and traditional agricultural practices in Nigerian communities, the paper proposes actionable legal and policy reforms to bridge the gap between formal legal structures and indigenous knowledge. Advocating for an inclusive, culturally sensitive approach to environmental governance, this paper underscores the imperative of formally recognising and integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into legal frameworks to enhance climate adaptation and food security.