Nigeria is ramping up its campaign to protect the nation's rich but threatened natural heritage by actively enlisting the support of the corporate world. This push forms the core of a recent high-level workshop held in Lagos, focusing on the implementation of the updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for 2025–2030.
Lagos Workshop Sets Stage for Corporate Action
The pivotal event, a National Business Advisory Group (BAG) workshop, was convened on 22 December 2025 by a coalition including the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Natural Eco Capital, and Business for Nature. It brought together business leaders, policymakers, and civil society to establish national priorities and create operational frameworks. The goal is to guide meaningful private sector participation in fulfilling Nigeria's commitments under the global Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Dr. Eugene Itua, CEO of Natural Eco Capital, delivered a stark warning in his lead presentation. He stated that Nigeria's biodiversity faces severe threats from deforestation, pollution, unsustainable agriculture, and climate change. "These threats impact our ecosystems, livelihoods, food security and economic stability," Itua emphasised, urging businesses to acknowledge their dual role in both the problem and the solution.
The Global Mandate and Corporate Accountability
Dr. Itua explained that the Kunming-Montreal Framework, adopted by 196 nations in December 2022, sets a clear global mandate to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. He highlighted Target 15 as particularly crucial for the private sector, as it mandates businesses to assess, disclose, and reduce their impacts on nature. "This is not optional; it is becoming the new norm in global governance," he asserted.
He described the framework as the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Agreement on climate, signalling that biodiversity is now a parallel pillar of corporate accountability. Companies that have been leaders on climate action are now expected to extend that leadership to nature conservation.
Nigeria's Homegrown Plan Needs Business Muscle
Nigeria's policy response is the revised NBSAP, updated in June 2025 to align with the global framework. While the plan focuses on conservation, sustainable use, and benefit-sharing, Dr. Itua stressed that its success is inextricably linked to active private sector engagement. "This is our homegrown plan. It is ambitious, actionable and aligned with global goals, but it cannot succeed without you," he told business leaders.
He framed biodiversity action as a strategic competitiveness issue, not just a compliance check. Inaction, he warned, could lead to regulatory breaches, supply chain disruptions, and loss of confidence from investors and consumers. Conversely, early movers stand to gain access to green finance, innovation opportunities, enhanced brand reputation, and long-term resource security.
Dr. Joseph Onoja, Executive Director of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, echoed this sentiment, stating the workshop was timely following Nigeria's validation of its updated strategy. He described businesses as critical partners, innovators, and drivers of solutions, not peripheral stakeholders. The workshop aimed to build a shared understanding of commitments and begin crafting a practical Business Action Plan, anchored in trust and open dialogue.
Biodiversity: The Bedrock of Economy and Culture
In a keynote address, Dr. John Onyekuru underscored the profound importance of biodiversity to Nigeria's economy, culture, and daily life. He highlighted its role in rural livelihoods, poverty alleviation, and traditional sectors like agriculture, fishing, and ecotourism. Nigeria's wetlands, forests, and protected areas provide essential services from food and water regulation to climate control.
Onyekuru also noted the deep cultural connections, citing sacred forests and traditional knowledge systems as examples of long-standing conservation practices. This heritage has earned Nigeria international recognition, such as the listing of the Osun Osogbo Grove as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The newly reinforced Business Advisory Group is designed to serve as a national platform for collaboration among businesses, financiers, and policymakers. Its ultimate mission is to integrate biodiversity targets into core business practices and shape a credible, actionable Business Action Plan for Nature, securing Nigeria's environmental and economic future.
