Feature/OPED
African Leaders Must Prioritise Climate Risks—Verkooijen
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
In this insightful and wide-ranging interview, Professor Patrick Verkooijen, Chief Executive Officer of Global Center on Adaptation discusses the organization’s establishment, its main objectives, challenges and plans for the future.
The Global Center on Adaptation in Africa (GCA Africa), based at the African Development Bank (AfDB), has launched the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program to mobilize $25 billion to scale up transformative actions on climate adaptation. It hopes to mobilize funds and bridge the financing gap for climate adaptation across Africa. Here are the interview excerpts:
What does the setting up of the Global Center on Adaptation mean for Africa?
Africa is on the frontline of our climate emergency. Five out of the 10 world’s most climate-vulnerable countries are in Africa. Contributing a meagre 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is more victim than a contributor to climate change, with the bulk of its emissions deriving from deforestation and poor land-use practices. Climate change is already negatively affecting the continent’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Its impacts are showing up in extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves affecting most of the continent with severe economic consequences. Hurricanes Idai and Kenneth in 2018 that hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi affected over 3 million people, led to the death of over a thousand people and damaged infrastructure worth about $2 billion.
Compounding the already enormous climate challenges, COVID-19 has ushered in an era of multiple, intersecting systemic shocks, and one of its casualties has been our capacity to adapt and respond to escalating climate risks.
Investment in climate adaptation fell in 2020, even as more than 50 million people were affected. There is no doubt the adaptation challenge for Africa is extraordinary. For us, although the adaptation challenge is a global agenda, our priority is Africa.
We must make up for lost ground and lost time by accelerating action on climate adaption and resilience. Climate change did not stop because of COVID-19, and neither should the urgent task of preparing humanity to live with the multiple effects of a warming planet. If the virus is a shared global challenge so too should be the need to build resilience against future shocks.
In September last year, in the midst of the pandemic, we virtually launched our Africa office hosted by the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Many African Heads of State and Government participated – they understand how vital accelerated adaptation action is because they are living with the impacts of climate change every day. Our rationale is that it doesn’t make sense to have an Africa office in isolation. We also have offices in Beijing and Dhaka because we think solutions that work well in South Asia, for example, could potentially also be translated to Africa and vice versa.
Do you target regions and different segments of the population in Africa? How do you determine and direct the activities of the GCA-Africa?
If we fail to include fairness and equity in how we adapt to a warming planet, we risk pushing millions of more people into poverty. We know how that story ends – with more conflict, migration and instability. With that in mind, we work closely with our partners including the African Adaptation Initiative and the African Development Bank to ensure our activities are directed towards where the need is greatest. Partnering with existing networks, platforms and organizations ensure that we don’t duplicate existing resources but can play a role in effectively filling the gaps that exist.
Right now, global, regional, national, subnational and local entities are working simultaneously, and in parallel to support adaptation actions and many important initiatives exist. However, the speed and scale of adaptation action is grossly insufficient to meet the demand and many stakeholders are not connected to the resources, knowledge, expertise or support others can offer them.
GCA is key to bridging this gap while ensuring at the same time that best practices can be replicated and scaled up in order to catalyse progress towards resilience in the most effective and efficient way.
Africa’s development – be it in infrastructure, agricultural production, urban development, and youth empowerment – can have a different path from other regions. Africa can have a development that is based on a deep understanding of climate risks for planning, resilient approaches with nature and people at the centre, and continuous innovations in technology, financing, and governance for a climate-smart-adapted future.
What are the long-term priority objectives here? But in the short-term, what projects would you tackle in Africa?
The short-term objective, in terms of the programs, is to make sure that when COVID-19 support packages are developed — and they are being developed in real-time by the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and other partners — they have resilience or adaptation action embedded in them.
Current estimates of the cost of climate change to Africa are between $7 – $15 billion per year. African countries are projected to experience clear detrimental macroeconomic consequences from climate change over the coming decades. The IMF estimates that this cost could rise to $50 billion by 2040, about 3% of the continent’s GDP. It is estimated that climate change could result in lower GDP per capita growth ranging, on average, from 10 to 13 per cent, with the poorest countries in Africa displaying the highest adaptation deficit. So, it’s important we act, and we act now.
Let me give an example. As part of the recovery package in Africa and other continents, there is a lot of investment in infrastructure. We want to make sure that these investments have climate risk embedded in their design and hence in their implementation and maintenance. We don’t want to build infrastructure anymore which will be destroyed when the next floods come.
For us, there is a very simple business case, over and above a moral argument, that investing in adaptation is good economics. We think that it is absolutely vital that, in the development of these new infrastructure projects or agriculture projects, that the climate lens is being applied consistently, and that is what we are planning to do in Africa long-term.
We are developing tools, guidelines, methodologies, and innovation programs for governments and development partners to do precisely that. You cannot develop properly without taking climate into consideration. There is this integrated approach that is not always applied, not only in Africa but also across the globe. That is what we are working on.
Since the start of this initiative, what would you consider as your main achievements on the continent? How did you overcome the initial challenges in order to get these positive results?
The urgency of the compounded COVID-19 and climate crises is compelling a new and expanded effort to accelerate momentum on Africa’s adaptation efforts.
At the GCA, we are joining forces with the African Development Bank to use their complementary expertise, resources and networks to develop and implement a new bold Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) to galvanize climate-resilient actions through a triple win approach to address COVID-19, climate change, and the economy.
The AAAP will contribute to closing Africa’s adaptation gap, support African countries to make a transformational shift in their development pathways by putting climate adaptation and resilience at the centre of their critical growth-oriented and inclusive policies, programs, and institutions.
As part of this program, just a couple of weeks ago, at the inaugural Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Netherlands, we announced a new program to deploy billions of dollars to help young people in Africa build a new digitally-driven model of agriculture that can feed the continent’s people and boost prosperity even as the planet heats up.
The African Development Bank has already committed to putting half its climate finance towards the initiative – $12.5 billion between now and 2025.
The challenge now is to raise an equal amount from donor governments, the private sector and international climate funds. In the COVID-context this is challenging – our latest report “State and Trends in Adaptation” showed that investment in climate adaptation fell in 2020 even as more than 50 million people were affected by a record number of floods, droughts, wildfires and storms.
The pandemic is eroding recent progress in building climate resilience, leaving countries and communities more vulnerable to future shocks. I think awareness is really starting to increase that we can either delay climate action and pay for that choice or plan now and prosper. The returns in investing in building climate adaptation and resilience are much greater than the investment – investing $1.8 trillion globally in the next decade could generate $7.1 trillion in total net benefits.
We are also working to strengthen ecosystems that support youth-led climate adaptation entrepreneurship, and youth participation in adaptation policies; scale up climate adaptation innovations by strengthening business development services to 10,000 youth-owned enterprises and 10,000 youth with business ideas on jobs and adaptation; develop tailored skills and provide starting tool packs for one million youth to prepare them for climate-resilient jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in adaptation and unlock $3 billion in credit for adaptation action by innovative youth-owned enterprises through innovative financial instruments.
With all these on the agenda, what role do African leaders have to play in terms of the global adaptation agenda?
With climate-related disasters expected to slow GDP per capita growth, African Governments are likely to experience increasing pressure on budgets and fiscal balances. Climate extremes are already leading to increased government expenditure, a reduction in the volume of collected taxes, ultimately resulting in an increase in government debt and impairment of investments. Adaptation and investment in climate resilience remain high development and investment priorities for Africa if the continent is to attain the SDGs.
In their Nationally Determined Contributions, African countries have already identified key areas where investments in adaptation and resilience building could yield high dividends. These include agriculture and forestry, water resources, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity and ecosystems, and human settlement. Many African countries are also in the process of preparing and finalizing their National Adaptation Plans.
Having said that, climate change is an all of social problem, no one can solve it alone. The role of African leaders is crucial to mobilise governments to boost climate action on both mitigation and adaptation. They need to improve their ability to incorporate climate risks into planning and financing major infrastructure, agriculture and other resilience-related investments.
With the youngest population in the world, Africa needs to find ways to unlock the power of its youth for adaptation – something we are very focused on at the GCA. Having said all of that, there are already a lot of good adaptation initiatives happening on the continent and many other countries in different regions are going to be able to learn from what Africa is doing.
Besides this, what specifically are the expectations from the leaders, looking at the fact that policies and approaches are different in African countries?
Earlier this year, we published a GCA policy brief, with the African Adaptation Initiative which recommended focusing stimulus investment in Africa on resilient infrastructure and food security to overcome the COVID-climate crisis. This was endorsed by 54 Heads of State and Government on the continent so when it comes to the need to accelerate adaptation action, it’s clear African countries are very much aligned. We are working hard on the ground to facilitate knowledge management and capacity building both within countries and between countries as well as promoting partnerships and co-operation at sub-regional and regional levels for increased synergy and scale. This cannot happen without the support of African leaders.
For example in Ghana, we are working to develop its first national-level assessment of the resilience of its infrastructure systems to climate change. By exploring and showcasing the potential co-benefits of nature-based solutions as part of a country-level package of investment in grey and green infrastructure, Ghana will function as a demonstration country of how to reduce costs and enhance ecosystems and we plan to roll out the initiative to other countries across the continent.
What platforms are there for discussing the GCA initiatives and programs for the African elite and the public? Do foreign organizations offer any support for these?
In January 2021, we hosted our first annual Ministerial Dialogue with over 50 ministers and leaders from international organizations including the newly appointed climate envoy John Kerry and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva. The aim of this event is to help scale-up global leadership cooperation to accelerate climate adaptation.
Going forward, it will also serve as an annual high-level forum on climate change adaptation, acting as a lever for global leadership to drive a decade of transformation for a climate-resilient world by 2030. African leaders were very active in the dialogue and we look forward to hearing from them in our future sessions.
There are also other partnerships such as the Climate Commissions of the African Union and the African Climate Policy Center. The African Risk Capacity, a specialized agency of the African Union is making important progress enabling countries to manage climate risks and access rapid financing to respond to climate disasters. The African Union is leading the pan-African Great Green Wall initiative which involves many international organizations and foreign governments.
But climate adaptation will not be successful if it just comes from the top-down. The design of adaptation actions must include and be led by local communities who are best placed to understand needs. Solutions need to be context relevant and accompanied by soft support designed to enhance uptakes such as formal education initiatives, agricultural extension or behavioural change campaigns.
Do you suggest governments have to act now to accelerate issues that you have on the agenda for the next few years? What kind of support do you envisage from African governments?
Over half of Africa’s total population experiences food insecurity. The growing number of extreme climate events, from droughts and new crop diseases to floods and unpredictable growing seasons, continue to threaten Africa’s ability to feed itself.
There are increasing rainfall and malaria risks in East Africa, increasing water stress and decreasing agricultural growing periods North Africa, severe flood risks in coastal settlements in West Africa and increased food insecurity, malaria risks and water stress in Southern Africa. The effect of aggregated climate impacts could decrease the continent’s GDP by 30 per cent by 2050.
Suffice to say Africa really doesn’t a moment to lose and we need to accelerate climate adaptation now. In looking towards recovery from the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to ensure that we all build forward better. It is our responsibility to ensure that the opportunity isn’t wasted and countries around the world must support Africa in this.
By Faedat Temideni
In Nigeria today, unwanted messages have evolved from a mere annoyance into a serious security risk. From deceptive investment opportunities to phony bank notifications, spam communications have transformed into complex frauds that target unsuspecting victims.
For numerous Nigerians, starting the day with several spam messages has turned into a regular occurrence. Telemarketing offers, questionable lottery prizes, and phishing schemes inundate mobile inboxes, frequently inundating users with unsolicited messages. Although some communications are simply annoying, others are designed to mislead and take advantage.
In recent years, there has been a rise in fraudulent SMS messages, where scammers mimic banks, government bodies, and reputable companies to obtain sensitive information from people. A report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that financial fraud via mobile channels has resulted in substantial monetary losses, causing unsuspecting victims to lose millions of naira.
Consider the scenario of Adebola, a civil servant in Lagos, who got an SMS purporting to be from her bank, urging her to click a link and refresh her account information. Just moments after complying, she noticed that her account had been breached, resulting in thousands of naira being withdrawn before she could respond. Tales such as Adebola’s emphasize the necessity for a strong approach to tackle SMS fraud and unwanted spam messages.
Airtel’s Spam Alert Service: A Historic Innovation
Acknowledging the critical necessity to tackle this problem, Airtel Nigeria, in March 2025, launched its Spam Alert Service, a creative system intended to screen spam messages before they reachusers. The service utilizes Artificial Intelligence built by Airtel to examine incoming SMS, detect suspiciouspatterns, and alert users accordingly.
Airtel’s Spam Alert Service Works in Three Key Ways
Quick Identification: The system automatically identifies suspected spam messages.
User Alerts: When a suspected fraudulent message is detected, users receive an alert notifying them of the potential spam.
User Reporting Feature: Customers can report spam messages by forwarding them to a dedicated short code, helping Airtel enhance its spam alert mechanisms.
With the launch of the Spam Alert Service, Airtel is not only protecting its customers but also strengthening trust in mobile communication. By helping to curb SMS fraud, Airtel ensures that users can engage with their mobile devices with a much-reduced risk of falling victim to SMS scams.
According toAirtel Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh,the AI Spam Alert Service demonstrates the priority the company places on user security. “We understand that spam messages are more than just an annoyance, they pose real threats to individuals and businesses. So, our Spam Alert Service is part of a broader effort to ensure a safer and more secure digital experience for our customers,”MrBalsingh said.
An Urgent Call to Action
As Airtel takes the lead in the fight against spam and SMS fraud, mobile users must remain vigilant. Customers are encouraged to report suspicious messages and avoid clicking on links from unknown sources. Additionally, businesses must adopt best practices in digital communication to ensure their messaging systems are not exploited by fraudsters.
With initiatives like the Spam Alert Service, Airtel is setting a new standard for mobile security in Nigeria. In a world where digital threats continue to evolve, proactive measures like this ensure that users can communicate safely, free from the fear of falling victim to SMS scams.
The battle against spam and fraud is far from over, but with Airtel’s Spam Alert Service, Nigerian mobile users now have a powerful ally in safeguarding their communication channels.
By Diana Tenebe
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces a complex web of food security challenges. Soaring food inflation, exacerbated by climate extremes, persistent insecurity in food-producing regions, and an inadequate supply of nutritious foods, has pushed millions into acute hunger. Despite vast agricultural resources, the country ranks low on the Global Food Security Index, underscoring a critical need for innovative solutions. Amidst this backdrop, urban farming, often dismissed as a niche activity, is gaining traction as a strategy to enhance food security, create income opportunities, and promote sustainable practices in urban areas.
Urban farming, encompassing a range of practices from rooftop gardens and vertical farms to community plots and aquaculture, offers the potential to localise food production, reduce reliance on distant supply chains, and enhance access to fresh, nutritious produce. As Nigerian cities continue to urbanise, converting agricultural land to other uses, the importance of maximizing food production within urban limits becomes crucial.
One of the most immediate and impactful contributions of urban farming is its ability to enhance food availability and access. By cultivating crops within city limits, fresh produce can reach consumers more quickly, drastically reducing post-harvest losses and transportation costs. This localised production directly addresses issues of food scarcity, especially for vulnerable urban populations who often struggle with the high cost and limited availability of fresh food. Successful initiatives in Lagos for instance have demonstrated how urban farms can become reliable sources of fruits, vegetables, and even protein through urban livestock and aquaculture for surrounding communities.
Beyond mere availability, urban farming plays a crucial role in improving nutritional outcomes and dietary diversity. Access to fresh, diverse produce encourages healthier eating habits, helping to combat prevalent issues like protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. When families cultivate their own food, they gain greater control over its quality and freshness, often opting for more nutritious varieties. This direct link between cultivation and consumption can lead to a measurable increase in dietary diversity within urban households.
Urban farming is not just about subsistence; it holds substantial economic promise and fosters job creation. It directly generates employment opportunities in various stages, including planting, harvesting, processing, and distribution. Small-scale urban farmers can sell their surplus produce at local markets, generating income and fostering entrepreneurship. This can be particularly impactful for Nigeria’s large youth population, offering a viable path to employment and self-reliance in a landscape of high unemployment. Initiatives that provide training and access to markets, like “FarmInTheCity” in Lagos, exemplify how urban farming can blossom into full-scale enterprises.
Urban farming contributes significantly to environmental sustainability and climate resilience. Innovative urban farming techniques, such as hydroponics and vertical farming, are inherently resource-efficient, using less land and water compared to traditional agriculture. They also reduce “food miles,” significantly lowering carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation. Additionally, urban green spaces created by farming initiatives can help mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and enhance urban biodiversity. This makes urban farming a crucial component of climate adaptation strategies, helping cities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, such as erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts that affect traditional agriculture.
Finally, community gardens and collaborative urban farming projects serve as powerful tools for fostering community cohesion and social impact. They provide shared spaces where residents can connect, build knowledge, and foster a sense of community pride and ownership. These initiatives can also serve as educational platforms, promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness about local food systems. This collaborative spirit can be particularly beneficial in diverse urban settings, breaking down social barriers and strengthening community bonds.
For Urban farming to work in Nigeria, policy support and integration are crucial. Governments at all levels need to recognize urban farming as a legitimate and vital part of the food system. This involves developing supportive policies, streamlining land-use regulations, and integrating urban agriculture into city planning. Second, capacity building and education are essential. Investing in education and training programs is vital. Access to finance and technology is a significant factor for urban farmers. Innovative financing models, perhaps incorporating “pay-as-you-grow” schemes for technology adoption, are needed. Also, leveraging technology like mobile apps for market access can significantly boost productivity. Lastly, adequate infrastructure, including reliable energy sources and efficient storage facilities, is crucial to minimize post-harvest losses and ensure the economic viability of urban farms.
Urban farming in Nigeria is more than just a passing trend; it can represent a tangible and impactful pathway towards enhanced food security. By embracing innovative approaches, fostering supportive policies, and empowering urban communities with the necessary resources and knowledge, Nigeria can unlock the immense potential of its cities to feed their populations, create economic opportunities, and build a more resilient and sustainable future. The revolution of urban farming, if nurtured effectively, can indeed contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s quest for food security.
Diana Tenebe is the Chief Operating Officer of Foodstuff Store
By Timi Olubiyi, PhD
The retirement from professional football, frequently glorified with illusions of legendary status and awards, reveals a contrasting reality upon closer examination, particularly in Nigeria.
Amidst the exciting goals and passionate stadium cheers exists a worrisome reality: numerous Nigerian footballers conclude their careers insufficiently prepared, financially insecure, physically impaired, and mentally overlooked.
Many retired Nigerian footballers, despite having earned significant sums of money during their careers, find themselves struggling financially soon after retirement. This is largely due to a lack of proper financial planning, poor investments, and the mismanagement of their earnings.
This post-retirement crisis of depression has affected even some of the nation’s most renowned figures, including Peter Rufai, the former Super Eagles custodian who once captivated spectators with his talent and tenacity.
Despite representing Nigeria internationally, and at the World Cup, notably and more recently Peter Rufai, has encountered the harsh reality of neglect following his retirement, and this has been the prevailing trend amongst football retirees.
Peter Rufai’s narrative resonates with the experiences of many former footballers who once bore the aspirations of a nation but now endure hardship, grappling with health complications and minimal assistance. The typical Nigerian player, throughout his career, frequently encounters a combination of inadequate money management, insufficient education, lack of appropriate legal guidance, and absence of long-term strategic planning.
Many of the players enter the illusion that they will leverage their talents, huge savings appear to be significant amounts, but fail to secure the stability of their retirement, despite all. In my opinion, these retirement failures are due to a lack of financial education and investment literacy, which leads to eventual poor retirement.
Nigerian footballers, in contrast to their colleagues in more developed footballing nations who enjoy strong player unions, pension schemes, and financial consulting services, frequently find themselves unsupported. Even injuries suffered over their career years often resurface later in life, accompanied by costly therapies that become unaffordable. The abrupt shift from fame and significance to anonymity and irrelevance imposes a psychological burden that few individuals are equipped to confront.
Numerous accounts also exist of former celebrities in the Nollywood and music industry. After retirement, they reside in deteriorated circumstances, soliciting public aid, or passing away discreetly without access to fundamental healthcare. This condition is rooted in a structural issue, originating from a football administration that favours immediate success over the long-term well-being of its sportsmen.
Moreover, the absence of organised retirement planning or transitional programs for footballers by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Ministry of Sports signifies a neglect of the persons who have elevated Nigerian football’s prominence.
In simple terms, many retired Nigerian footballers do not benefit or have pension schemes or long-term financial plans after their playing careers end.
In contrast, football associations in countries like England or Spain provide players with comprehensive retirement programs and pension plans to ensure they remain financially stable even after they retire.
The harsh reality of retirement for Nigerian footballers is a growing concern that demands immediate attention. Therefore, a multifaceted strategy is urgently required to halt this slide.
Initially, financial education should be integrated into player development programs at the grassroots level, instructing young players on the significance of budgeting, investing, and saving.More so, mental health programs and education must be introduced to help retired footballers cope with the psychological challenges of retirement.
Secondly, the NFF should formalise retirement savings programs, pension schemes, and compulsory health insurance for all players representing clubs and the national team. Furthermore, a welfare department inside the NFF must be formed to monitor and assist retiring athletes, guaranteeing they are not left to manage alone. The government should enact legislation mandating retirement benefits and post-career healthcare access for national legislators, acknowledging their contribution to the country as a national duty.
Public-private partnerships may be utilised to establish a Footballers’ Retirement Fund, financed through endorsements, league earnings, and sponsorships. Former athletes may transition into coaching, mentoring, or ambassadorial positions, so as to ensure both financial compensation and continued significance.
Corporate entities and NGOs should participate by establishing post-career training programs in entrepreneurship, coaching, and sports management.
Peter Rufai, who previously endeavoured to promote fitness and youth development during his lifetime, could have received enhanced support to establish a legacy of mentorship programmes if the appropriate structures had been implemented.
In conclusion, without implementing systemic reforms, Nigerian football will continue to celebrate stars on the pitch but neglect them after they retire. Therefore, the government, the NFF, football clubs, and other sports federations must collaborate to establish a sustainable support system for sportspeople, ensuring they are financially secure, emotionally supported, and equipped with the skills needed to succeed after their sporting careers. Without these reforms, many Nigerian sports icons will persist in facing a bleak reality as they transition from playing to retirement.
The call for reform is not just about securing the future of Nigerian athletes; it is about recognising their contributions and making sure that their lives after sport are as dignified and fulfilling as their careers. Rest in peace, Peter Rufai, the legend!
How may you obtain advice or further information on the article?
Dr Timi Olubiyi is an Entrepreneurship and Business Management expert with a PhD in Business Administration from Babcock University, Nigeria. A prolific investment coach, columnist, author, adviser, seasoned scholar, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), Member of the Institute of Directors, and Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) registered capital market operator. He can be reached on the Twitter handle @drtimiolubiyi and via email: [email protected], for any questions, reactions, and comments.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author,Dr Timi Olubiyi and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of others.
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