ABSTRACT
Despite Nigeria’s effort at climate change adaptation, the country has not been able to make significant progress in terms of coordinated climate change adaptation efforts. Stakeholder engagement is a critical aspect of climate change adaptation planning and related activities. This study examined the challenges of stakeholder engagement in climate change adaptation in Nigeria. Data was generated through a review of existing literature, key informant interview, and questionnaire. The findings of the study revealed that climate change is an all-encompassing issue that affects everyone in the society, both the low and mighty. The strengths of Nigeria’s stakeholders’ engagement include its large youthful population with 70% of its 220 million people under 30 years and 170 Universities, 159 polytechnics, 47 accredited monotechnic, and 82 colleges of education as of June 2022, while the weaknesses include a lack of specific enabling policies, laws, regulations, and structures on effective stakeholder engagement and non-implementation of legal mandates on stakeholder engagement. The findings of the study further revealed that stakeholder engagements in Nigeria are weakened by corrupt leadership, especially at community levels. Some of the threats to effective stakeholder engagement in climate actions include a large illiterate population, inadequate tools, and working in silos by most of the potential stakeholders to be engaged in climate actions in the country. The findings revealed that the opportunities for stakeholder engagement include the fact that it provides for an all-inclusive approach in project preparation, planning, implementation, and monitoring processes in climate actions in Nigeria. Stakeholder engagement provides an opportunity for building buy-in and support for adapting to climate change actions and gathering technical and local knowledge from diverse stakeholders in addressing climate change issues in the country. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are suggested, involving all stakeholders from the Federal level down to the community level with appropriate and sustainable funding arrangements, timely release of project funds and involvement of stakeholders in the planning process, regular meetings to enhance understanding, and allocation of specific assignments to stakeholders that will be engaged.
