DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTS, DATA, TOOLS, AND ANALYSES
In FY25, national stakeholders endorsed the land and ecosystem accounts developed in FY24, which were subsequently published for public access.
The analysis of the drivers of tree cover loss was also made publicly available. The report examining Nigeria’s diversification strategies within the context of the global low-carbon transition, which the computable general equilibrium model ENVISAGE supports, was published and made accessible to the public.
Three analytical documents were initiated in FY25 and are scheduled for delivery in FY26. The CIC program supported an analysis of the relationship between wood fuel consumption, time collecting wood, gender, and social inclusion. This analysis is a background note for Nigeria’s CCDR and will be published in FY26. Two analyses of the relationship between vegetation cover, agricultural productivity, and household climate resilience have been designed and will be delivered in FY26.
INFORMING INVESTMENTS AND POLICIES
The CIC program has played a key role since FY24 in implementing the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project, which is designed to promote adoption of sustainable landscape management practices within selected watersheds in northern Nigeria while increasing the nation’s capacity for integrated, climate-resilient landscape management over the long term. In FY25, ecosystem accounts developed for Nasarawa and Kaduna states served as foundational resources for preparing strategic watershed management plans. Micro-catchment planning is underway in these states using evidence on ecosystem accounts.
Land and ecosystem accounting produced under the CIC grant has served as a benchmark for inclusion of NCA in the National Strategy for Development of Statistics (2025–29). The purpose of the strategy is to provide a mechanism for further reform of the national statistics system and acceleration of statistical development in Nigeria.
It is in draft and going through the validation process. The World Bank’s CIC team worked closely with them, facilitating creation of the land accounting working group and producing land and ecosystem benchmark accounts. Comments were provided on the draft strategy, and NCA and satellite accounts have been included in the strategy.
In addition, the technical analysis of tree cover loss and the policy analysis note on diversification with mitigation outcomes (using the computable general equilibrium model) contributed to development of the National Climate Change Action Plan. According to the Climate Change Act, the National Climate Change Council Secretariat is mandated to prepare a National Climate Change Action Plan. The aim of the plan is to identify key activities that need to be undertaken by institutions that are part of the NCCC, and they will be monitored annually by the Secretariat. The plan is currently in the draft stage and is expected to be finalized in FY26, before the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30). The recommendations provided in the policy note on diversification with mitigation outcomes and the data from the tree cover loss analysis have been presented and shared with the secretariat and taken as input for drafting the National Climate Change Action Plan.
Land accounts, the study on drivers of tree cover loss, and the study on wood fuel and poverty have informed the initial design and served as input to development of the project proposal for the planned Sustainable Forest Economy and Clean Cooking project. The proposal will also benefit from inputs from two new studies being conducted in FY26 on forests, agricultural productivity, and household climate resilience.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION
Several public sector entities have actively engaged with this initiative, taking leading roles in institutionalizing production of NCA in Nigeria. The National Bureau of Statistics chaired the ecosystem and land accounting working group and the GHG accounting working group. The National Space Research and Development Agency is the lead agency for defining national land classification in the ecosystem and land accounting working group. The Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and National Climate Change Council Secretariat are active members of the working groups. The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning was the main counterpart for the policy note on diversification with mitigation outcomes.
Two workshops to ensure capacity building and knowledge transfer were organized in FY25. A training for journalists on NCA took place on May 21-22, 2025, bringing together 17 journalists from television, radio, print, and online media to expand their understanding of natural capital, sustainability reporting, and how NCA can support better decision making in environmental and economic planning. The training was focused on the NCA work of the Nigerian government that the World Bank supports. Seventy percent of participants were women. In addition, the National Space Research and Development Agency led a LULC workshop June 3-24, 2025, to help finalize the LULC classification and a road map for producing land accounts. Fifty-seven participants from different governmental and nongovernmental organizations took part, including the National Boundary Commission; National Bureau of Statistics; Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation; Federal Ministry of Environment; state governments of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Cross River, and Oyo; National Centre for Remote Sensing Jos; universities; and civil society organizations. Forty-four percent of workshop participants were female. Participants created a communiqué and a road map to produce land accounts.
COMMUNICATION
A national natural capital forum, which the World Bank organized in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, Federal Ministry of Environment, and National Climate Change Council Secretariat, was held on June 5, 2025, to celebrate Global Environmental Day. The objective of the workshop was to present and discuss the main NCA results and insights and share the experience gained from preparation of the first natural capital accounts. Fifty-five participants from several government agencies, including the ministries of Environment, Budget and Economic Planning, and Agriculture and Food Security; National Bureau of Statistics; state governments; and the National Space Research and Development Agency, attended. Forty-five percent of participants were women. The forum received extensive media coverage from the national press.
