COP30: Civil Society Groups Warn Nigeria – ‘Nature Is Not For Sale’
As world leaders converge on Belém, Brazil, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), Nigerian civil society groups are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a growing push to put a price tag on nature.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent call for new financial mechanisms to “harness the economic value of nature” has drawn strong criticism from leading environmental rights organisations, who warn that such a move risks turning the country’s forests, water bodies, and biodiversity into tradable commodities.
In a joint statement, groups including Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Lekeh Development Foundation, and Social Action, said the Vice President’s position “reflects a concerning misinterpretation of true climate justice.”
According to them, framing nature as an economic asset aligns Nigeria with corporate interests and global carbon traders rather than with communities directly affected by climate change.
They cautioned that monetising natural resources through schemes like carbon markets and offsetting could lead to “corporate capture, greenwashing, and the displacement of indigenous peoples.”
“True climate justice demands that nature remains a shared trust, not a tradable commodity,” the statement read. “The State’s duty is to safeguard the environment and human dignity, not to exploit them for profit.”
The groups urged the Nigerian government to reject what they termed the “financialisation of nature” and instead invest in renewable energy, agroecology, and community-led conservation to ensure sustainability and food sovereignty.
They further called for inclusive dialogue involving civil society, indigenous groups, and local communities before advancing any environmental policy, stressing that climate action must be people-centred, just, and equitable.
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