Varsity’s global confab addresses environmental sustainability, security concerns and governance reforms
Vice-Chancellor of Bingham University, Karu, in Nasarawa State, Prof. Haruna Ayuba, has said the continent’s climate, security and governance challenges are deeply interconnected and reinforce one another. In his remarks
Vice-Chancellor of Bingham University, Karu, in Nasarawa State, Prof. Haruna Ayuba, has said the continent’s climate, security and governance challenges are deeply interconnected and reinforce one another.
In his remarks at the university’s second PICDA International Conference: “Climate Change, Insecurity, Terrorism and Crisis of Governance in Africa,” he noted that climate change has become a driver of conflict through displacement and livelihood disruption, while corruption and weak institutions have limited effective responses.
Represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Musa Dankyau, he urged experts and policymakers to pursue joint solutions that address environmental sustainability, security concerns and governance reforms together.
The Vice-Chancellor highlighted the growth of the Ambassador Bulus Lolo Centre, established about a year ago, noting that it has hosted an earlier conference and secured support from Konrad Adenauer Foundation to strengthen staff capacity in diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, represented by Senior Special Assistant on Christian Religious Matters, Jibrailu Dabong, called on African leaders to adopt coordinated climate-security strategies to address the link between climate change, insecurity, terrorism and weak governance across the continent.
The governor described climate change as a “threat multiplier,” noting desert encroachment, shrinking rainfall and environmental degradation are fuelling conflicts, particularly farmer-herder clash in the Sahel and Middle Belt. He explained that increasing scarcity of farmlands and grazing spaces has intensified competition for resources, leading to violence and putting strain on traditional conflict resolution systems.
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Sule raised concerns about governance gaps, stressing terrorism and insecurity thrive where citizens experience injustice, neglect and lack of access to basic services. According to him, extremist groups exploit weak institutions and poor service delivery to recruit and spread propaganda.
While reaffirming his administration’s commitment to security, he noted that financial constraints have forced governments to focus on emergency responses, leaving less funding for education, healthcare and long-term projects.
He urged stakeholders to move beyond reactive approaches and integrate climate adaptation into security planning.
In the same vein, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, called for stronger collaboration among African governments, scholars and institutions to tackle the growing link between climate stress, insecurity and governance challenges on the continent. The governor made the call in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by Ms. Julie Sanda, Director General of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency (PPBA).
He noted that environmental degradation across Africa has moved beyond being a purely ecological issue, warning that it is now driving displacement, resource-based conflicts and economic fragility in many regions. He stressed that the situation demands bold and coordinated leadership, adding that the crises facing Africa have become deeply interconnected and require forward-looking strategies that promote stability, resilience and sustainable development.
The governor also highlighted the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in addressing insecurity through improved coordination among security agencies, intelligence-sharing, modern equipment and capacity building. He said the Federal Government is also tackling root causes of conflict such as poverty, youth unemployment and social exclusion through social investment and economic reforms, while strengthening climate action through renewable energy expansion, climate-smart agriculture, afforestation and land restoration programmes.
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Delivering the lead paper, former President of the United Nations General Assembly, Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, warned that climate change is increasingly driving instability across Africa, worsening poverty and exposing the fragility of governance systems. Presenting a paper titled “The Climate–Insecurity–Governance Nexus in Africa: Evidence, Trends and Policy Implications,” Muhammad-Bande described Africa as one of the most climate-vulnerable regions despite contributing little to global emissions.
He noted that rising temperatures, desertification and erratic rainfall are already disrupting livelihoods, particularly for communities dependent on agriculture and pastoralism. While climate change may not directly cause conflict, he said it intensifies unemployment, inequality, displacement and competition over land and water, creating conditions that can easily spark violence.
Muhammad-Bande cited the shrinking of Lake Chad reported to have lost about 90 per cent of its size since the 1960s as a major example of environmental decline worsening economic hardship and fueling tensions. He also highlighted increasing farmer-herder conflicts in the Sahel, where shrinking grazing lands have forced pastoralists into farmlands, sometimes creating disputes complicated by ethnic and religious divisions.
He argued that weak governance is often the deciding factor in whether climate stress escalates into insecurity. According to him, where governments fail to provide services or manage resources fairly, armed groups exploit grievances to recruit young people. He cited Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Lake Chad region, JNIM in Mali and Burkina Faso, Al-Shabaab in Somalia and the insurgency in Mozambique as examples of extremist groups expanding in fragile environments marked by poverty and state neglect.
Muhammad-Bande further warned that foreign competition for strategic resources, including rare earth minerals and hydrocarbons, could worsen instability in politically fragile regions. He also expressed concern about declining global cooperation and shrinking climate finance, stating that Africa faces an annual adaptation funding gap estimated between $50 billion and $100 billion.
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He called on African governments to integrate climate adaptation into national security and development planning, strengthen transparency in natural resource management and invest in community-based resilience initiatives to reduce vulnerability to extremist recruitment. He also urged reforms in global climate finance systems to ensure African countries can access support without excessive conditions.
Earlier, the Director of the centre, Dr. Olushola John Magbadelo, described the conference as timely, saying Africa is facing overlapping crises that threaten peace and development. He said the event builds on the success of the maiden PICDA conference, which helped position the centre as a platform for research, dialogue and policy engagement. Magbadelo disclosed that nearly 70 research papers are expected to be presented during the conference, alongside specialised roundtables on nonalignment in global politics and media coverage of terrorism. He said the outcome would include a formal communiqué and academic publications aimed at influencing policy.
The conference also featured goodwill messages from the Ambassador of Portugal to Nigeria, Paulo Santos; the Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero; Colombia’s Honorary Consul, Marisel Castillo and Ambassador Joe Keshi, President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria.
Other goodwill speakers included Mr. Francis Ikyenga, representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Chief Akin Arikawe of the Conference of Former Permanent Secretaries of Nigeria; Prof. Hassan Saliu, President of the Nigerian Political Science Association; and Barrister Dr. Deborah Usman, Jakadiyar Ham.
Academics, bureaucrats and professionals including the following participated at the roundtables chaired by Professor Tijani Muhammad- Bande and Professor Desmond Okocha; Professors Ochoche, Zabadi, Hassan Saliu, Emeka Okereke, Abiodun Adeniyi, Gabriel Nyitse , Dr. Umar Abdullahi, DCN Madu Onuorah, Victor Mayomi, Henrietta Ibrahim, Aliyu Mshelia, and Sola Jaiyesimi, among several others that took part at the roundtables.
