North-West Climate Summit, a presidential initiative set for August 4, 2026 has been designed to transform the region’s vulnerability to desertification and water scarcity into a magnet for green investment and job creation.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North West), Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai convened the summit targeting bankable projects in climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy, water security, and youth-led enterprises across Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.
Yakasai stresses the importance of the event as a pivot from talk to tangible financing and execution under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“This summit represents a strategic shift from climate vulnerability to climate investment,” Yakasai said.
He announced a North West Climate Fund to pool capital for projects and a digital Climate Investment Marketplace to link investors with opportunities.
“We’re creating pathways for investors to identify and partner on projects that will transform the region.”
The North West Development Commission, launched in July 2024 to serve more than 65 million people, is aligning its mandate—spanning environment, agriculture, infrastructure, and youth development—with the summit.
Managing Director Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji highlighted challenges including land degradation, food insecurity, and youth unemployment affecting over seven million people.
The commission plans to enlist 5,000 youths in planting economic trees to fight desertification, boost soil quality, and generate livelihoods, with added security benefits through community monitoring.
Lead consultant Dr. Mea Boykins positioned the event to lure local and global finance by bridging policy and implementation.
“This is about delivering real, actionable, investable solutions—restoring land, securing water, and powering the future,” she said.
Stakeholders noted that grassroots involvement as essential for sustainability.
