As climate change affects the economy and city life, experts in Nigeria’s environment and economy sectors are calling for small businesses to be included in the country’s plans for a greener future.
At the first Lagos Green Economy Forum, government officials, business leaders, and development groups stressed that small and medium businesses play a big role in Nigeria’s environmental impact and must be supported in moving towards a more sustainable way of doing business.
They discussed how to make sure Nigeria’s more than 41 million small businesses not only understand climate change but also take action to help solve the problem.
Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said it’s time to involve small businesses fully in the country’s shift to a low-carbon economy.
Wahab, through Dr. Tunde Ajayi of the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency, said small businesses are the heart of Lagos’ economy and must be included in policies like the current plastic ban.
Ajayi pointed out that Lagos has millions of SMEs, and excluding them from green plans would leave out a major part of the economy. He added that going green helps reduce costs, boost innovation, and build business strength.
The commissioner explained that Lagos is now focused on reducing plastic waste by working with companies that make and recycle products.
He mentioned companies like Coca-Cola and 7-Up, saying they’ve helped improve plastic recycling, reduce flooding, and clean up blocked drainage systems.
He added that the ban on plastic has boosted demand for paper products, showing how smart policies can lead to positive changes in the market.
Sola Obadimu, Director General of the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce (NACCIMA), said switching to a green economy is not just needed—it’s also a smart economic move.
Obadimu noted that Lagos makes up over 40% of Nigeria’s GDP and is home to more than 30 million people. He said the city’s future depends on making sustainability part of all planning and investment.
He said the private sector is ready to work with the government on climate financing and green jobs. He urged more support for renewable energy, eco-friendly infrastructure, and climate-smart farming.
Korede Oluwole, the forum’s organiser and CEO of Marion Gold Initiative, said the event aims to involve small businesses more in climate issues, which are often led by big companies and governments.
Oluwole pointed out that small businesses create over 80% of global environmental impact, yet they’re rarely included in sustainability talks. He said this event starts a new effort to guide and support them.
He also launched a new mobile app called *GreenTrack*, which helps small businesses manage energy, waste, water, and paper more sustainably.
The app gives small businesses step-by-step tools to go green in simple ways.
Oluwole said more training events and online workshops will take place over the next year to prepare for the second edition of the forum in 2026.
At a panel session led by women executives from top firms like MTN Nigeria, IHS Towers, and TechnoServe, the speakers discussed how big companies can help drive sustainability.
They stressed the need to include Nigeria’s many small businesses in the country’s green plans.
Temilade Olabanji from MTN Nigeria said the company is not just writing sustainability reports but also working to help its partners and suppliers understand and reduce their environmental impact.
She explained that MTN’s *Project Zero* aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 and cut emissions by half by 2030.
Olabanji said MTN is already using renewable energy at its base stations and data centers.
She added that MTN is also helping its suppliers go green and aims to have 80% of its top suppliers follow the company’s climate goals by 2026.
Titilope Oguntuga from IHS Towers spoke about Project Green, which is helping over 16,000 tower sites in Nigeria switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
She said the goal is to power these sites more sustainably.
Oguntuga also shared the company’s *Clinic Without Walls* program, which offers free health insurance to people in underserved areas as part of IHS’s broader social responsibility work.
Juliet Ezeani from TechnoServe highlighted the need for environmental education and responsible purchasing. She said they help businesses understand their environmental impact and adopt better practices.
Ezeani explained that for every project, they look at how it affects the environment and train businesses to be more eco-friendly.
Although only one small business group (the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists) attended the event, organisers said they are working with other key groups like SMEDAN and NASME to include more small businesses in the future.
