Mrs Zigwai Fanda, a climate advocate, has called for the enforcement of environmental standards and responsible private-sector participation in Africa.
Fanda, the founder of Climate Change and Circular Economy (CCCE) Africa, made the call in an interview with reporters on Thursday in Abuja.
“Africa must develop climate change solutions suited to its realities rather than simply replicating foreign models.
“Africa has enormous opportunities in renewable energy, the circular economy, sustainable agriculture and green manufacturing.
“The continent can meet global sustainability standards by moving from commitments to implementation through stronger environmental governance, investment in technology and innovation, climate finance mobilisation and the development of green skills,” she said.
According to her, entrepreneurship, responsible leadership and social innovation are also needed to transform environmental solutions into sustainable businesses that create opportunities for communities.
She said her professional training helped her understand the relationship between industrial processes, resources, energy and waste, but she later realised that technical solutions alone could not address Africa’s environmental and socioeconomic challenges.
“This inspired me to promote an approach where economic growth, environmental responsibility and social impact reinforce one another rather than compete,” she said.
Fanda said CCCE Africa 2026, the Climate Change and Circular Economy Africa Conference and Exhibition, was designed to promote dialogue, collaboration, innovation and action on the continent’s sustainability challenges.
She said the conference, scheduled for 17 and 18 September, will bring together government, industry, development institutions, investors, environmental organisations, academia, innovators and young people.
According to her, the event will focus on practical solutions, partnerships, investment, technology transfer and policy implementation, rather than conversations alone.
“Our objective is to build an ecosystem where a policy idea can connect with an innovator, an innovator can connect with industry, and an industry solution can connect with financing and government support,” she said.
She said the ultimate goal was to make CCCE Africa a catalyst for sustainable projects and partnerships across Africa, rather than merely another annual conference.
Fanda identified energy insecurity, environmental degradation, poor waste management, deforestation, flooding, erosion, pollution, unemployment and food insecurity among the challenges requiring urgent attention.
She also listed inadequate infrastructure, weak environmental enforcement, limited climate finance and poor access to green technology as major concerns, particularly for Nigeria.
Fanda said Nigeria must bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation while treating environmental challenges as economic and national-development issues.
“If we solve these problems properly, we can simultaneously create jobs, attract investment, improve public health, strengthen communities and build more resilient cities and industries,” she said.
Fanda urged governments, environmental organisations, NGOs, social entrepreneurs and industries to collaborate to promote sustainable development and a “greener economy”.
She said government should provide policies, incentives, standards, infrastructure and an enabling regulatory environment, while NGOs should contribute research, advocacy, community knowledge and accountability.
According to her, social entrepreneurs can provide innovative and commercially viable solutions, while industries contribute capital, technology, scale and markets.
She called for structured platforms where stakeholders could jointly develop, test, finance and scale sustainable solutions that work.
On climate justice, Fanda said Africa’s relatively low contribution to global emissions contrasted sharply with its high vulnerability to climate change, making fairness and responsibility critical issues.
She advocated increased access to climate finance, technology transfer, capacity building, adaptation support and investment in African-led solutions.
However, Fanda said Africa should approach climate change not only from the perspective of vulnerability but also from the standpoint of opportunity.
She said the continent could build a low-carbon economy without repeating the environmentally damaging development pathways adopted by industrialised economies.
She called for partnerships that would provide Africa with resources and technology for its transition while ensuring the continent retained ownership and economic value from its natural and human capital.
Fanda said that if given “magical powers”, her priority would be to eliminate the gap between sound environmental policies and their implementation.
She envisioned a Nigeria where environmental regulations are consistently enforced, waste becomes an economic resource, renewable energy is accessible and reliable, and polluted ecosystems are restored.
She also urged governments to make environmental education and green skills central to education while empowering young Africans to become entrepreneurs and innovators in the green economy.
“If I had to choose just one thing, I would change our mindset from seeing environmental sustainability as a cost to understanding it as an investment in our economy, health, security and future,” she said.
Fanda added that such a mindset shift, supported by strong institutions and courageous leadership, could fundamentally transform Nigeria and Africa.
