Benue State has taken a major step toward reinforcing its climate governance framework, signalling renewed determination to confront the state’s escalating environmental challenges.
At a one-day training in Abuja themed “Strengthening Legislative Leadership for Developing Climate Change Resilience and Carbon Budgeting in Benue State,” top government officials, members of the 10th State House of Assembly, and international development partners met to deepen climate awareness and equip lawmakers with tools to drive stronger climate policies.
The training underscored the critical role of legislation in institutionalising carbon budgeting, promoting sustainable development and safeguarding the state against worsening climate threats.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Chenge, raised concerns over Benue’s growing exposure to climate-induced disasters. He cited frequent flooding, erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and biodiversity loss as threats to agriculture, infrastructure and rural livelihoods.
“Benue State, known as the Food Basket of the Nation, bears a disproportionate vulnerability to climate change,” he said, adding that the impacts are already eroding the state’s economic foundations. “Our farmers, women, youth and rural communities suffer the most. We cannot afford to treat this as a distant problem.”
Chenge urged the State Assembly to take urgent legislative action, noting that effective climate governance must begin with strong laws, oversight and a clear budgeting framework. He said lawmakers have the power to strengthen the state’s Climate Change Law, legislate climate-smart land use, and institutionalise carbon budgeting.
“Every ministry must begin to think climate. Every local government must plan with climate in mind. Our survival as a people depends on the decisions we make today,” he added.
Country Director of International Alert Nigeria, Kingsley Udo, commended the state for demonstrating unified climate leadership. He warned that climate change is increasingly becoming a driver of conflict, pointing to erratic rainfall, flooding, land degradation and prolonged dry seasons as triggers of competition over land and water in Benue.
“Climate pressure, if unmanaged, becomes a conflict trigger. Proactive climate governance is essential for long-term peace,” he said.
He urged lawmakers to spearhead implementation of the Climate Change Act, stressing that policies would remain ineffective without legislative backing, oversight and proper budgeting.
Director General of the Benue State Council on Climate Change (BSCCC), Aondofa Mailumo, described the climate situation in the state as severe and worsening. He warned that shifting rainfall patterns, soil degradation, rising temperatures and declining agricultural productivity are pushing the state toward a dangerous threshold.
He stressed that no climate policy or strategy can succeed without strong legislative support, noting that laws provide structure, continuity and enforceability. Key legislative responsibilities, he said, include institutionalising carbon budgeting, mandating climate risk assessments for public projects and ensuring consistent climate reporting by ministries and agencies.
Mailumo identified inadequate financing as a major barrier to climate action, calling for a diversified funding approach that includes domestic, international, private-sector and community-level support.
“Climate action requires huge financial resources that government alone cannot shoulder,” he said, adding that climate change also presents opportunities for job creation, green innovation and long-term resilience.
Participants agreed that the State Assembly must anchor climate governance through responsive laws, transparent climate funding and mandatory risk assessments.
The meeting ended with a collective pledge by government leaders, lawmakers and development partners to make climate action a core pillar of Benue’s long-term development. Stakeholders affirmed that while technical solutions are vital, strong political will and sustained legislative leadership are indispensable.
With renewed commitment and strengthened partnerships, Benue State appears set to pursue a more resilient, climate-responsive and sustainable future for its people.
