Climate Change Adaptation Mechanism for Sustainable Development Goal 1 in Nigeria: Legal Imperative

Abstract

Despite international efforts on poverty reduction in the last decade, poverty is rampant in many countries including Nigeria. Poverty remains a principal challenge for development in twenty-first century and a threat to achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, which is a global attempt, among others, to end poverty by 2030. Meanwhile, 13 out of the 15 countries where extreme poverty is rising are in Africa. According to the World Poverty Clock, Nigeria, by 2018, had the largest extreme poverty population of 86.9 million, thus making the people vulnerable to malnutrition, armed conflict, migration, and other socioeconomic and environmental shocks. Whereas these impacts are exacerbated by climate change (CC), unfortunately, Nigeria’s adaptation efforts are inadequate due to certain impediments. The chapter finds that Nigeria lacks the CC law to properly regulate institutional and policy interventions to impacts of CC. It argues that although adaptation as opposed to mitigation is interim, yet integrating adaptation measures into Sustainable Development (SD) framework and poverty reduction strategies is a potent means of addressing CC impacts on the poor and achieve SDG1 target. The chapter therefore recommends the establishment of CC law in Nigeria that incorporates adaptation measures in poverty reduction strategies and mainstreaming of CC issues.