Mutfwang seeks more action on continent’s climate-security crisis
Africa’s deepening climate and security challenges took centre stage at Bingham University, as policymakers, diplomats and scholars converged for the second PICDA International Conference, organised by Ambassador Bulus Lolo Centre
Africa’s deepening climate and security challenges took centre stage at Bingham University, as policymakers, diplomats and scholars converged for the second PICDA International Conference, organised by Ambassador Bulus Lolo Centre for Diplomacy, Conflict, Peace and Plural Studies, with a resounding message: the continent’s overlapping crises are no longer abstract—they are unfolding in real time and demand urgent, coordinated action.
Delivering a powerful intervention, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, warned that the intersection of climate change, insecurity, terrorism and governance failures has evolved into a “compound risk landscape,” stressing Africa faces existential threat driven by environmental stress, weak institutions and rising violence. Speaking further, the governor represented by Julie Sanda, director general of Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency, urged governments to move beyond fragmented responses and adopt integrated strategies that link climate policy with security and development planning.
“We are no longer dealing with isolated challenges,” he noted. “Climate change, insecurity and governance failures are reinforcing one another, creating complex and unpredictable outcomes that directly affect our people.” He illustrated this with realities from Plateau State, where erratic rainfall, land degradation and water scarcity disrupted traditional farming and grazing, often pushing communities into conflict. Without effective institutional mediation, he noted, environmental adaptation can devolve into competition—and ultimately violence.
Mutfwang noted his integrated approach, including restructuring the Ministry of Environment to incorporate climate change and mineral development, as well as adoption of a Climate Change Policy and Action Plan (2026–2030). He pointed to grassroots peacebuilding initiatives, early warning systems and community-driven conflict resolution mechanisms as critical tools for sustaining stability.
Closing his remarks, he challenged participants to ensure the conference translates into tangible outcomes. “Beyond this room,” he said, “our people are not waiting for more analysis—they are waiting for governance that works.”
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The conference, themed “Climate Change, Insecurity, Terrorism and Crisis of Governance in Africa,” drew participants from across academia, government and the diplomatic community, all echoing concerns about the growing convergence of risks across the continent.
In opening remarks delivered on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Haruna Ayuba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Musa Dankyau, underscored the urgency of a unified response, describing climate change as an increasingly potent driver of displacement, livelihood disruption and conflict. He warned that corruption and institutional weaknesses continue to undermine effective interventions, calling for policies that simultaneously address environmental sustainability, security and governance reform.
Similarly, Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, represented by Venerable Jibrailu Dabong, described climate change as a “threat multiplier,” linking desertification, erratic rainfall and shrinking natural resources to the escalation of farmer-herder conflicts across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and the wider Sahel. He cautioned that governance gaps manifested in inequality, marginalisation and poor service delivery have created fertile ground for terrorism and criminality to thrive.
Adding intellectual weight to the discourse, former President of the United Nations General Assembly, Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, presented a lead paper highlighting how climate variability is intensifying poverty, displacement and competition over scarce resources. He pointed to the dramatic shrinking of Lake Chad and rising conflicts in the Sahel as stark examples of environmental decline feeding instability, while warning that weak governance often determines whether such pressures escalate into violence.
Beyond national efforts, speakers repeatedly called for stronger regional cooperation and global support, particularly in addressing Africa’s widening climate finance gap and the transnational nature of security threats.
Earlier, Director of the ABLC, Dr. Olushola Magbadelo, described the conference as both timely and strategic, noting that nearly 70 research papers and multiple high-level roundtables would contribute to policy recommendations and academic outputs aimed at shaping governance responses across the continent. The director disclosed that the post-conference outcomes included the production of an actionable Communique that would be shared to government offices at federal and state levels, Conference Proceedings, and a maiden Journal of Conflict and Peace Studies.
The ABLC brought together an array of distinguished voices, including members of the diplomatic corps, academics, policymakers and international partners, thus reinforcing its role as a growing platform for dialogue and action on Africa’s most pressing challenges.
