The Kano Coalition for Climate Action & Inclusive Governance (KACIG) has called on the Kano State House of Assembly to prioritise climate resilience in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, warning that underfunding threatens livelihoods, infrastructure, and long-term development in the state.
Presenting the position paper at the public hearing, Comrade Safiyanu Lawal Bichi, representing KACIG, stressed that despite Kano being Nigeria’s most populous state with over 20 million residents, it remains one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the Sahel.
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According to KACIG’s analysis of budget execution from 2022 to 2025:
Real budget value fell by 20% in USD terms despite nominal growth from ₦241bn in 2022 to ₦696bn in 2025.
Capital budget execution averaged just 23%, dropping to 19.9% in 2025.
Climate budget allocations declined from 13.9% in 2023 to 6.5% in 2025.
Ministry of Environment executed only 26.7% of its ₦12.5bn allocation in 2025, while agriculture allocations fell from ₦36bn in 2023 to ₦0.2bn in 2024.
KACIG highlighted that while non-critical allocations for ceremonies, media, office renovations, and symbolic purchases were increasing, key climate-critical projects were underfunded:
Erosion control for Baban Gwari drainage cut from ₦2.6bn to ₦514m.
Preventive erosion works reduced from ₦1.1bn to ₦500m.
Tree planting across senatorial districts allocated only ₦210m.
Drainage construction for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) allocated ₦800m, far below the need.
The coalition warned that underfunding climate resilience could lead to escalating economic losses from floods, erosion, and drought, while environmental stress could increase migration, unemployment, and insecurity. KACIG emphasised that every ₦1 invested in climate resilience saves ₦4–₦7 in future losses.
Increase capital allocations to climate-critical MDAs such as the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, WECCMA, Ministry of Water Resources, REMASAB, and KNAP’s Afforestation Project.
Protect and upscale funding for erosion control, drainage systems, water treatment, afforestation, renewable energy installations, climate-smart agriculture, and waste management.
Reallocate non-critical expenditures from ceremonies, media equipment, and office renovations to climate resilience projects.
Institutionalise Climate Budget Tagging (CBT) for transparency and accountability.
Establish a Kano State Climate Change Fund as recommended in the 2025 Climate Change Policy.
Channel funds through reliable executors and strengthen institutional capacity.
Implement Performance-Based Financing (PBF) to tie capital releases to measurable outcomes.
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KACIG urged lawmakers to break the cycle of underfunding and poor execution, aligning the 2026 budget with the Kano State Climate Change Policy to ensure a climate-resilient future for the state.