Africa’s climate conversation is set to take a decisive turn from commitments to implementation as policymakers, business leaders, investors and climate practitioners converge in Abuja next week for the fourth edition of the Africa Climate Forum (ACF).
The two-day forum, scheduled for October 13 and 14 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, will focus on how governments, businesses, financial institutions and other stakeholders can work together to translate Africa’s climate ambitions into measurable outcomes.
Organised by the Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy (GCLBE), the forum is themed, “Implementing in Lockstep: Public-Private Action for Green Outcomes.”
The organisers said the theme reflects growing concerns over the gap between climate commitments and actual delivery, particularly amid persistent challenges around financing, institutional coordination and execution.
The forum is expected to attract participants from across Africa and beyond, with both physical and virtual participation.
Among those expected at the event are the Director and UNIDO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson; Senior Partner at Africa Law Practice NG & Company, Mr Olasupo Shasore, SAN; Governing Board Member and Chairman of the Committee on Security, Special Interventions and Climate Change at the North East Development Commission, Hon. Sam Onuigbo; former Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr Salisu Dahiru; and Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye.
Other speakers and contributors expected include Managing Director of C4Impact Advisory Group, Dr Forster Boateng; Senior Sustainability Officer at the Jospong Green Transition Office, Dr Gloria Boamah Kusi; Research Associate at Dalhousie University’s CERC.OCEAN Laboratory and Executive Director of the DOTCAN Institute, Dr Debany Fonseca Batista; and Chief Executive Officer and AI Implementation Architect at Owning My, Claudette Hutchinson.
The Convener of the Africa Climate Forum and Director-General of GCLBE, Prof. George Nwangwu, said the emphasis on implementation was driven by the need to strengthen coordination among institutions responsible for translating climate ambitions into concrete results.
“Climate action requires more than ambition. It requires governments, businesses and financial institutions to move together,” he said.
According to him, the forum would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to strengthen existing partnerships, develop new collaborations and make commitments capable of producing tangible outcomes.
The programme will feature plenary sessions addressing some of the critical issues shaping Africa’s climate transition, including private-sector participation, carbon markets, energy access and natural gas, food security and adaptation.
Other areas of discussion will include community-led climate action, human rights and the just transition, as well as the application of artificial intelligence, data and digital technologies to climate planning and implementation.
A major feature of the forum will be the ACF Deal Room, designed to bring together climate project developers, green businesses, investors and financial institutions.
The organisers said the platform would provide a direct interface between climate-focused projects and potential sources of investment and strategic partnerships, with the objective of moving promising ideas beyond discussions to implementation.
The forum will also host a dedicated Pulitzer Centre side event on “Journalism, Climate Action and Civic Space Engagement.”
The session will examine the role of public-interest journalism in strengthening climate accountability, improving public understanding of climate-related issues and amplifying the experiences of communities affected by climate change.
The Abuja gathering follows climate conversations convened by the ACF in Accra earlier this year, where stakeholders examined issues around climate partnerships, financing, the just transition and public-private collaboration.
Since its launch in 2023, the Africa Climate Forum has brought together actors from government, business, investment and development sectors to deliberate on Africa’s response to climate change.
The 2026 edition, however, places greater emphasis on implementation, seeking to move the continent’s climate conversation beyond policy commitments towards coordinated action, investment and measurable green outcomes.
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