The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) has launched its #Vote4Climate 2027 Campaign, urging Nigerians to prioritise climate action and environmental sustainability as key considerations in the country’s 2027 general elections.
The campaign was unveiled during a World Environment Day 2026 press conference convened by GIFSEP Executive Director, Dr. Michael Terungwa David, alongside environmental experts and development stakeholders under the theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future. #NowForClimate.”
Addressing participants, Dr. David described World Environment Day as “not a ceremonial occasion; it is a call to action,” warning that climate change is already a lived reality in Nigeria.
“The evidence is no longer hypothetical; it is etched into the daily lives of millions of Nigerians,” he said.
According to him, the impacts of climate change are visible across the country, with Lake Chad shrinking by more than 90 per cent since the 1960s and desertification steadily consuming vast areas of arable land in northern Nigeria, displacing farmers and worsening resource-based conflicts.
He noted that coastal erosion and rising sea levels continue to threaten communities in Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River states, while recurrent flooding has become increasingly severe.
“Unprecedented flooding, including the 2022 floods that displaced over 1.4 million people, is becoming the norm rather than the exception,” he said.
Dr. David also highlighted the dangers posed by air pollution from gas flaring, open waste burning and vehicular emissions, which he said contribute to thousands of premature deaths annually. He added that land degradation continues to undermine agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods while costing the country billions of naira each year.
Warning about the broader implications of the environmental crisis, he said more than 35 million Nigerians currently face acute food insecurity, with climate shocks expected to further reduce agricultural yields in the coming decades.
“Energy poverty remains a major national challenge, with millions still without access to electricity,” “Continued dependence on fossil fuels will only deepen environmental degradation and economic hardship.”he said.
He further observed that competition over shrinking natural resources has become a significant driver of insecurity in several parts of the country.
A major highlight of the event was the official launch of the #Vote4Climate 2027 Campaign, which seeks to integrate environmental sustainability into Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the next election cycle.
Dr. David argued that climate and environmental issues must become central to political conversations, urging citizens to scrutinise candidates’ positions on climate adaptation, renewable energy, food security, pollution control, green jobs and environmental justice.
“Sixty-five years after independence, our political conversations remain trapped in ethnicity, zoning and stomach infrastructure. This must end in 2027,” he said.
“We are not merely choosing between political parties; we are choosing between a liveable future and an uninhabitable one.”
Describing every citizen as a stakeholder in the climate debate, he said, “Every Nigerian is a green voter,” noting that food, health, livelihoods and security are increasingly shaped by environmental conditions.
He urged voters to reject candidates who ignore climate change, promote unsustainable exploitation of natural resources or fail to protect vulnerable communities.
Also speaking at the briefing, Richard O. Nzekwu, a consultant with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), expressed concern over the rapid rate of land degradation across the country.
“Land degradation is moving at a very fast rate in Nigeria,” he said.
Nzekwu stressed the importance of nature-based solutions, calling for investments in land restoration and youth engagement.
“Nature-based solutions are no longer optional. We must train our youth to restore degraded lands and improve soil productivity,” he said, noting that more than 200 million Nigerians depend on resources derived from the country’s land.
He warned that failure to tackle land degradation could trigger increased migration from affected communities, placing additional pressure on urban centres and heightening the risk of conflicts.
In her remarks, GIFSEP Board Member Gloria Agema highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and called for their greater inclusion in decision-making processes.
“Women are at the frontline of climate change, yet they are often excluded from the decision-making processes that shape solutions,” she said.
According to Agema, food insecurity, land degradation, health challenges and insecurity affect women disproportionately, making their participation in climate governance essential.
“If women are part of the problem, they must also be part of the solution,” she added, while advocating increased access to financing and support for women-led climate initiatives.
The event concluded with a call on journalists, civil society organisations, youth groups and citizens to demand stronger climate action and environmental leadership from political actors ahead of the 2027 elections.
Organisers reaffirmed the campaign’s central message: “The future is on the ballot.”