Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Senate raises alarm over what it calls dangerously low funding for environmental protection, warning that underinvestment could worsen flooding, erosion and pollution nationwide.
The upper chamber says current allocations to the environment ministry fall far below what is required to address escalating ecological threats battering communities across the country.
During a budget defence session on Thursday, lawmakers urge special provisions to strengthen climate resilience, coastal protection and forest conservation.
“The scale of environmental degradation demands serious funding,” says Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment. “We cannot tackle flooding and erosion with token budgets.”
He lists shoreline protection, drainage systems, forest regeneration and land restoration as urgent priorities, while stressing the need for Nigeria to meet its international climate commitments to unlock global financing.
“This is not optional. It is strategic,” Fadeyi says.
Environment Minister Balarabe Lawal tells lawmakers the 2026 budget aligns with government priorities, including food security and renewable energy development. He confirms that several 2025 capital projects remain unfunded, forcing a rollover into the new fiscal year.
Despite constraints, Lawal says the ministry continues solar-powered water projects, street lighting schemes and flood control interventions, particularly in flood-prone northern states.
Lawmakers pledge strict oversight to ensure transparency and value for money as Nigeria confronts worsening climate impacts.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Korede Abdullah 