Climate change poses severe and potentially irreversible risks to human populations and ecosystems globally, with developing nations bearing a disproportionate burden. Nigeria, given its geographical and socioeconomic vulnerabilities, ranks among the countries most exposed to its adverse effects yet remains critically underequipped in legal and institutional terms to confront it. This article examines the adequacy of Nigeria’s existing legal and institutional framework for climate change regulation, arguing that the absence of dedicated climate legislation, the ineffectiveness of general environmental law provisions, and the poor implementation of government policy have created a governance vacuum that undermines the country’s mitigation and adaptation capacity. Drawing on international climate law instruments including the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement and comparative domestic frameworks, it advocates for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s climate governance architecture. It recommends the enactment of climate-specific legislation, the establishment of accountable institutional structures, dedicated climate financing, and the effective implementation of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement as essential steps toward a legally robust and climate-resilient Nigeria.
Keywords: Climate Change, Legal, Nigeria, institutional framework, modalities
