Nigeria’s Progress on Natural Capital Accounting
Nigeria is currently working with the World Bank’s Global Program on Sustainability (GPS) to enhance its capacity for NCA and to integrate environmental values into policy and investment planning.
Ahmed Abdullahi, an environmentalist specialist with the World Bank, says natural capital accounting provides a more holistic view of economic health by quantifying the value of natural resources.
“It is already being used to monitor environmental degradation and guide restoration efforts, forming the basis of our forestry intervention planning,” he said during a 2-day training organized by the World Bank for journalists on NCA.
With support from the GPS, Nigeria has developed national land accounts, ecosystem accounts in Nasarawa and Kaduna States, and conducted analyses on tree cover loss and greenhouse gas emissions. An ongoing study is exploring the links between poverty, gender, and natural capital.
These efforts are being coordinated by the NBS, with contributions from the United Nations Statistics Division and a multi-agency technical working group. A high-level NCA Forum is scheduled for June 2025 in Abuja.
According to Abdullahi, the work is already influencing development planning in sectors like watershed management, landscape planning, and climate-smart agriculture.
“We have both national and sub-national stakeholders involved,” he added, citing the participation of federal ministries like the National Council on Climate Change (NASDA) and state governments. “NCA allows us to embrace natural resources beyond traditional GDP. It showcases the true picture of our economy, including forests, land, and water resources”.
The Role of the Media: Building Capacity for Environmental Reporting
Recognizing the media’s vital role in public engagement and accountability, the World Bank’s GPS recently trained 17 Nigerian journalists in Abuja on the role of Solutions Journalism in promoting natural capital accounting.
Yekeen Akinwale, a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and lead facilitator, described Solutions Journalism as “a rigorous, evidence-based approach that focuses not only on problems but also on how people are responding to them.”
“It’s about telling success stories that are grounded in credible evidence—not just good intentions,” Akinwale said.
“Stories like solar-powered boreholes, women’s savings initiatives, or community-led health monitoring not only attract partnerships and inspire replication but also maintain journalistic integrity through multi-source verification.”
Participants praised the training. Daniel Adejo, a reporter with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), said the sessions had “significantly transformed my perspective on reporting.”
“I’ve learned that journalism should not only highlight issues but also explore and present actionable solutions, especially when addressing environmental challenges,” he added.
Charity Simon of The Union called the training “insightful”, while Helen Emmanuel of Blueprint said she now understands how to use data to amplify environmental reporting and explain the concept of natural capital.
For James Agbo of ASTV, the training provided tools to better understand how to measure Nigeria’s natural assets and their contribution to sustainable development.
Nigeria's move towards sustainability can benefit from natural capital accounting, which balances economic output and environmental health. Success will require collaboration among government, international partners, civil society, and media.
