Nigeria

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Sub-Saharan AfricaApplies 2016–2020Source: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2016–2020)

This NBSAP was submitted before the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (December 2022). Target mappings are inferred and were not part of the document's original scope.

1. Overview

Nigeria's revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2016–2020) is the country's second such strategy, succeeding the first NBSAP (2001–2010) [§5]. Developed through a participatory process involving over 500 stakeholders — international and national experts, sub-national officials, and grassroots resource managers — the document was prepared under the authority of the Federal Ministry of Environment [§5].

The NBSAP adopts the five goals of the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 as its framework and sets 14 national commitments* supported by 67 actions, 21 impact indicators, 123 performance indicators, and 20 programmes [§5]. These national commitments map across all twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets and all five strategic goals***Nigeria adopted the five goals of the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 as its strategic framework. These are not equivalent to GBF Goals A–D.Nigeria's NBSAP uses "National Target" for its 14 headline pledges, aligned to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. These are referred to here as national commitments. [§54]. Eight of the 14 national commitments contain quantified thresholds and deadlines; the remaining six are directional aspirations.

Headline commitments include: 30% of the population aware of biodiversity's importance by 2020; at least 10% of national territory in conservation areas representing all ecosystem types; restoration and sustainable management of up to 15% of degraded ecosystems; control of at least 60% of identified pollution sources including from extractive industries; and a 25% increase in national-based biodiversity funding [§5]. The strategy's vision describes "a Nigeria with healthy living environment where people live in harmony with nature and sustain the gains and benefits of biodiversity, integrating biodiversity into National programme aimed at reducing poverty and developing a secure future" [§46].

Implementation is overseen by a three-tier structure: a Biodiversity Steering Committee reporting to the Federal Executive Council, a National Biodiversity Monitoring, Evaluation and Coordinating Unit, and a National Biodiversity Working Group of implementing partners [§5][§83].

Nigeria's NBSAP is shaped by the dominance of the petroleum economy, with extractive-industry pollution treated as a central biodiversity threat alongside deforestation and unsustainable harvesting. The strategy proposes distinctive financing mechanisms — including biodiversity-based lotteries, crowd funding through naming conservation facilities after donors, and biodiversity taxes on polluting industries — and commits to decentralising biodiversity planning across all 36 states.

Sources:

  • §5 — Executive Summary
  • §46 — 3.1. Long Term Vision
  • §54 — 3.4. National Targets
  • §83 — Biodiversity Steering Committee

2. Ecological Context

Nigeria's 923,768 km² span from coastal creeks and mangrove swamps of the Niger Delta through tropical rainforest, three savannah bands (Guinea, Sudan, Sahel), to the montane vegetation of the Jos Plateau (averaging 1,300 m elevation) and the Cameroon border highlands [§10][§12]. Rainfall reaches 330 cm on the south-eastern coast but drops sharply in the northern third, producing six distinct ecological zones that structure much of the NBSAP's target-setting [§11][§12]. Wetlands cover an estimated 28,000 km², with fourteen major wetland belts including the transboundary Lake Chad system — water source for over 20 million people across four countries [§20].

The NBSAP records 309 threatened species (IUCN Red List 2013): mammals (26), birds (19), reptiles (8), amphibians (13), fishes (60), molluscs (1), other invertebrates (14), and plants (168) [§16]. Endemic flora amount to 91 species across 44 families; endemic vertebrates include Sclater's Guenon (Cercopithecus sclateri), the Ibadan Malimbe, Anambra Waxbill, and over a dozen freshwater fishes [§16]. Sclater's Guenon populations thrive not only in formal forest reserves but in sacred forests at Akpogueze (Anambra State) and Langwa (Imo State), where cultural practices serve as a conservation mechanism [§21].

Biodiversity sites comprise 7 national parks, 994 forest reserves (50% de-reserved or encroached upon), 32 game reserves, 11 Ramsar sites, 2 World Heritage Sites, 1 UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and 27 Important Bird Areas [§16]. Only 6% of land area is protected [§31]. Environmental degradation is estimated to cost over $6 billion per year [§31].

Key pressures interact across sectors. The petroleum industry accounts for over 90% of national income; oil and gas operations in the Niger Delta contaminate soil, sediments, and swampland [§32][§34]. Deforestation proceeds at 3.5% per year — 350,000–400,000 ha annually — driven by agricultural conversion, fuel wood dependence (70% of households), and high-intensity timber logging [§22][§31]. Three invasive species cause documented ecological and economic damage: Nypa palm (Nypa fruticans), introduced in 1906, displaces native Niger Delta mangroves; water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) threatens an estimated one-third of local fish supply; and Typha grass (Typha latifolia) devastates Chad Basin and Hadejia-Nguru wetlands, causing flooding and resource conflict [§36]. Nigeria loses 867,000 ha of rangeland and cropland to desertification annually [§37].

Sources:

  • §10 — 1.1. Physico-Geographic and Climate Features > Geography
  • §11 — 1.1. Physico-Geographic and Climate Features > Climate
  • §12 — 1.1. Physico-Geographic and Climate Features > Vegetation
  • §16 — 2.0. Status of Biodiversity in Nigeria
  • §20 — 2.1.3. Wetlands and Marine Biodiversity
  • §21 — 2.1.4. Cultural and Aesthetic Values of Biodiversity
  • §22 — 2.2. Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss
  • §31 — 2.2.9. Unsustainable Harvesting of Bioresources
  • §32 — 2.2.10. Extractive Industries and their Activities
  • §34 — 2.2.12. Pollution
  • §36 — 2.2.14. Invasive Species
  • §37 — 2.2.15. Overgrazing

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

Nigeria's 14 national commitments are organised under five strategic goals spanning the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Eight contain quantified thresholds and deadlines; six specify intent and direction without measurable thresholds.

Awareness and mainstreaming

National commitment 1 sets a target of 30% of Nigeria's population aware of biodiversity's importance to the ecology and economy by 2020 [§54]. Actions include radio campaigns, publications in local languages, inclusion of biodiversity in primary through tertiary curricula, annual legislative forums, and social media outreach targeting youth [§54]. Mapped to GBF Target 14 (mainstreaming). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (30%), defined deadline.

National commitment 2 commits to developing "a comprehensive programme for the valuation of biodiversity" with payments for ecosystem services mainstreamed into the national budget by 2020 [§54]. The monitoring matrix sets quantified PES benchmarks: 50 payments per year, ₦200 million per year, and 100 beneficiaries by 2020 [§97]. Instruments include national TEEB studies, integration of biodiversity valuation into national accounts, and reform of Environmental Impact Assessment provisions. Mapped to GBF Target 11 (ecosystem services). Measurability: Directional aspiration — "comprehensive programme developed and implemented" lacks a quantified threshold in the commitment text itself; the monitoring matrix adds PES metrics but these are tracking targets.

Spatial planning and restoration

National commitment 3 calls for adoption of a national ecosystem-based spatial planning process by 2020 [§54]. Actions include a national biodiversity survey, establishment of a planning process through the Office of the Surveyor General, creation of grazing reserves and pastoral routes, and safeguarding of wildlife corridors [§54]. The NBSAP links land-use conflict — citing the Jos crisis and Tiv/Jukun crisis — directly to biodiversity loss from unclear tenure and competing land uses [§26]. Mapped to GBF Target 1 (spatial planning). Measurability: Directional aspiration — binary outcome without a quantitative threshold.

National commitment 4 targets restoration of up to 15% of degraded ecosystem areas by 2020 [§54]. Instruments include a National Forest and Vegetation Recovery Programme covering mangroves and coastal areas, a National Rivers and Wetlands Rehabilitation Programme linked to pollution reduction, and support for the Great Green Wall Sahara Programme [§54]. Community-based renewable energy facilities (biogas, solar) around restoration areas address fuel wood pressure. Mapped to GBF Target 2 (ecosystem restoration). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (15%), defined deadline.

Species and genetic diversity

National commitment 5 commits to implementing six management plans for habitats of endemic and threatened species, including migratory species sites, by 2020 [§54]. The monitoring matrix targets assessment reports for 15 Ramsar sites (up from 11) and 15 priority sites for endemic and threatened species (up from 7). This target encompasses the cross-border agreement with Cameroon (September 2008) for Cross River gorilla protection through joint enforcement in Cross River and Takamanda National Parks [§54]. Mapped to GBF Target 4 (species recovery). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (6 plans), defined deadline.

National commitment 6 targets at least 10% of national territory in conservation areas with representation of all ecosystem types by 2020, from a baseline of 6% [§54]. Actions include upgrading reserves to National Parks (including marine ecosystems), implementing the Conservation Strategy for Biodiversity in the Niger Delta (assigned to the Ministry of Niger Delta), and documenting indigenous and local community conservation areas [§54]. The monitoring matrix targets 10 new National Parks and 30% of conservation areas sustainably managed [§97]. Mapped to GBF Target 3 (protected areas). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (10%), defined deadline.

National commitment 7 commits to documenting and maintaining the genetic diversity of cultivated plants, domesticated animals, and their threatened wild relatives in two key institutions by 2020 [§54]. Actions include establishing a national gene bank and Community Herbal Heritage Centres. Mapped to GBF Target 4 (species recovery). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (2 institutions), defined deadline.

Pollution and invasive species

National commitment 8 targets control of at least 60% of identified pollution sources, "including those from extractive industries and agricultural inputs," by 2020 [§54]. Actions include reducing agricultural chemicals reaching waterways, strengthening water quality guidelines, and engaging NOSDRA in oil spill and pipeline management. Mapped to GBF Target 7 (pollution reduction). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (60%), defined deadline.

National commitment 9 commits to identifying and prioritising invasive alien species and pathways, with priority species controlled or eradicated and management measures in place across all six ecological zones by 2020 [§54]. Actions include strengthening Plant Quarantine Service border capacity, establishing an IAS management framework, and creating an early warning and rapid response system. The NBSAP also proposes a "waste to wealth" approach — promoting utilisation of invasive species [§54]. Mapped to GBF Target 6 (invasive alien species). Measurability: Directional aspiration — no quantified threshold for species controlled or eradicated.

Implementation and participation

National commitment 10 calls for the revised NBSAP to be fully adopted as a policy instrument by 2015, with participatory implementation commenced [§54]. Mapped to GBF Target 14 (mainstreaming). Measurability: Measurable commitment — binary but verifiable, defined deadline.

National commitment 11 commits to acceding to the Nagoya Protocol and commencing a national ABS regime by 2015 [§54]. Actions include developing a national ABS legislative framework and sub-national ABS regimes across all 36 states. Mapped to GBF Target 13 (genetic resources / ABS). Measurability: Measurable commitment — binary but verifiable, defined deadline.

National commitment 12 targets community participation in project design and ecosystem management in one project per ecological zone (six total) by 2020 [§54]. Actions include community capacity-building for natural regeneration, surveys of sacred groves and community lands, and a national framework for community ecotourism participation. Mapped to GBF Target 22 (inclusive participation). Measurability: Measurable commitment — quantified threshold (1 per zone), defined deadline.

National commitment 13 commits to increasing national-based biodiversity funding by 25% by 2020 [§54]. No baseline figure, currency amount, or GDP percentage is specified against which this increase would be measured. The monitoring matrix targets a 50% increase in both national and international funding [§97]. Mapped to GBF Target 19 (finance mobilisation). Measurability: Directional aspiration — percentage stated but no baseline specified.

National commitment 14 calls for capacity-building of key actors and gender mainstreaming for achievement of Nigeria's biodiversity targets by 2020 [§54]. A dedicated gender section instructs NBSAP coordinators to conduct gender analysis of programmes, develop gender-responsive planning policies, and implement positive discrimination measures for women and youth empowerment [§60]. The monitoring matrix targets at least 10 beneficiary institutions with strengthened capacity (from a baseline of 2) [§97]. Mapped to GBF Targets 20 (capacity) and 23 (gender). Measurability: Directional aspiration — "capacity built" and "gender mainstreaming carried out" lack quantified thresholds.

Sources:

  • §26 — 2.2.4. Poor Land Use Planning
  • §54 — 3.4. National Targets
  • §60 — Gender Issues
  • §97 — 6.3.3. Monitoring Plan

4. Delivery Architecture

Legal framework

Biodiversity governance rests on the National Policy on Environment (first formulated 1988, revised 1999, reviewed 2006/7 and 2014) and the National Policy on Conservation of Biological Diversity (1999) [§38][§39]. The legal framework includes the Forestry Ordinance, National Parks Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Act, Biosafety Act, and the establishment of NESREA (National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency) and NOSDRA (National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency) [§40]. The NBSAP notes that implementation of these laws "has been weak apart from the fact that some of these laws need review" [§40].

Flagship programmes

The National Biosafety Framework, developed with UNEP-GEF, addresses living modified organism management [§43]. The Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Programme (LEEMP) targets rural empowerment alongside environmental protection [§43]. The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem project, with UNIDO, addresses mangrove reforestation and Nypa palm utilisation in the Niger Delta [§43]. The Fadama Integrated Land Management Project promotes sustainable wetland use [§43]. The Federal Government has directed that 60% of the national Ecological Fund be dedicated to reforestation, and a Climate Change Bill has been passed by Parliament [§43].

Subnational arrangements

Nigeria's federal structure spans three tiers of government. The NBSAP identifies decentralisation of biodiversity planning as "one of the main causes of poor NBSAP implementation" in existing strategies [§81]. It commits to establishing sub-national BSAPs across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory by 2020 [§97]. State governments, local community-based organisations, faith-based organisations, and the private sector are assigned implementing roles [§82][§90].

Research and monitoring institutions

Agricultural research institutions — the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) — maintain gene banks and conduct conservation research [§42]. Prominent NGOs include the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Nigerian Environment Study/Action Team (NEST), and the Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP) [§41].

Sources:

  • §38 — 2.3. Constitutional, Legal and Institutional Framework
  • §39 — 2.3.1. Policy Framework
  • §40 — 2.3.2. Legal Framework
  • §41 — 2.3.3. Institutional Framework
  • §42 — 2.3.3.1. Institutions and their Responsibilities
  • §43 — Federal Government Project Initiatives
  • §81 — 6.1.1. Considerations for Establishment of NBSAP National Coordinating Structure
  • §82 — 6.1.2. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Structures
  • §90 — Other Relevant Organisations
  • §97 — 6.3.3. Monitoring Plan

4a. Niger Delta: Extractive Industries and Biodiversity

The petroleum sector's relationship with biodiversity is woven through the NBSAP's threat analysis, pollution targets, restoration commitments, protected area planning, invasive species documentation, and financing proposals. The petroleum industry accounts for over 90% of Nigeria's national income, and "virtually all aspects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta" are identified as having "deleterious effects on ecosystems and local biodiversity" [§32].

The UNEP 2011 assessment of Ogoniland found oil contamination "extensive across land, sediments, and swampland," with oil-coated mangrove roots and hydrocarbons in surface water throughout creeks [§34]. NOSDRA is assigned responsibility for pipeline management under national commitment 8 (pollution control) [§54]. Nypa palm, introduced in 1906 to control coastal erosion, has displaced native mangroves throughout the Niger Delta — a biodiversity impact that interacts with petroleum contamination of the same coastal ecosystems [§36].

The NBSAP assigns the Ministry of Niger Delta responsibility for implementing the Conservation Strategy for Biodiversity in the Niger Delta (Action 6.3) under the protected areas commitment [§54]. No budget is attached to this strategy. The financing mechanisms include biodiversity taxes on industries "commensurate with the magnitude of environmental disturbance they cause" — a provision that addresses the extractive sector [§78]. Wetland rehabilitation is explicitly linked to pollution reduction, with the National Rivers and Wetlands Rehabilitation Programme cross-referenced to the pollution control target [§54].

Sources:

  • §32 — 2.2.10. Extractive Industries and their Activities
  • §34 — 2.2.12. Pollution
  • §36 — 2.2.14. Invasive Species
  • §54 — 3.4. National Targets
  • §78 — 5.3.3. Innovative Funding for the NBSAP

5. Monitoring and Accountability

The Federal Ministry of Environment, through the Federal Department of Forestry, holds direct responsibility for monitoring NBSAP implementation [§82]. The three-tier coordinating structure — BSC, NBMECU, NBWG — creates a reporting chain from implementing partners through technical coordination to ministerial oversight [§83][§84][§87].

The Biodiversity Steering Committee reports to the Federal Executive Council and the House Committee on Environment, and is presided over by the Minister of Environment [§83]. The NBMECU consists of eight full-time government personnel serving as CBD National Focal Points, covering the CHM, SBSTTA, resource mobilisation, protected areas, ABS, coastal and marine ecosystem, and biosafety portfolios [§85]. The NBMECU prepares an annual national status report disseminated through the national Clearing House Mechanism (www.chm-cbd.com.ng), which includes translations in Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba [§86].

The monitoring plan comprises a Target Monitoring Matrix (impact indicators for 14 national commitments) and an Actions Monitoring Matrix (performance indicators for 67 actions), each specifying responsible entity, baseline value, baseline year, target value, data gathering methods, means of verification, and collection frequency [§97]. Most indicators are collected annually, some biennially, and pollution-related indicators quarterly [§97][§98].

The evaluation plan includes quarterly review meetings (NBWG), annual review and planning meetings (NBMECU), annual Steering Committee meetings (Q1), a mid-term external evaluation (Q2 2018), and a final external evaluation (Q4 2021) [§101]. The Sixth National Report to the CBD was scheduled for Q2 2018 [§101]. The NBSAP identifies the absence of a CHM, performance indicators, and an M&E framework in the first NBSAP as key failings that the revised strategy addresses [§97].

Sources:

  • §82 — 6.1.2. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Structures
  • §83 — Biodiversity Steering Committee
  • §84 — National Biodiversity Monitoring and Evaluation Coordination Unit
  • §85 — Composition of the Members of NBMECU
  • §86 — Functions of the NBMECU
  • §87 — National Biodiversity Working Group
  • §97 — 6.3.3. Monitoring Plan
  • §98 — 6.3.3. Monitoring Plan (part 2)
  • §101 — 6.3.4. Evaluation Plan

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP does not include a costed implementation budget, total financing gap, or per-target expenditure breakdown.

National commitment 13 targets a 25% increase in national-based biodiversity funding by 2020, though no baseline figure is specified against which this increase would be measured [§54]. The monitoring matrix sets a higher target of 50% increase in both national and international funding [§97]. A dedicated Resource Mobilization National Focal Point sits within the NBMECU [§85].

Public funding — national budgets for environment ministries and the Ecological Fund — is identified as the dominant source, supplemented by international agencies (GEF, UNEP, UNDP) and private sector contributions [§77]. The NBSAP lists 11 categories of financial mechanisms including tax incentives, dedicated funds, reduction of harmful subsidies (naming fertiliser subsidies specifically), PES, biodiversity offsets and wetlands banking, and conservation easements [§77].

Six innovative funding proposals are outlined: crowd funding through naming conservation facilities after donors and "build and operate" schemes for private entrepreneurs in national parks; biodiversity-based lotteries with a special draw on World Biodiversity Day, organised under the National Lottery Regulatory Commission; biodiversity taxes on industries proportional to environmental disturbance; Ecological Fund equivalents at state and local government levels, requiring legislative domestication; ecotourism promotion through biodiversity-based festivals (Argungu Fishing Festival, Biseni Fishing Festival); and a National Biodiversity Trust Fund requiring legislative backing through the Nigerian legislative houses [§78]. The NBSAP acknowledges that "low budgetary allocations" and "low capacity have resulted in poor implementation" of existing obligations [§25].

Sources:

  • §25 — 2.2.3. Policy and Legislation Constraints
  • §54 — 3.4. National Targets
  • §77 — 5.3.2. Financing Mechanisms
  • §78 — 5.3.3. Innovative Funding for the NBSAP
  • §85 — Composition of the Members of NBMECU
  • §97 — 6.3.3. Monitoring Plan

7. GBF Target Coverage

Target 1: Spatial planning — Addressed

National commitment 3 calls for adoption of a national ecosystem-based spatial planning process by 2020. Actions include a national biodiversity survey to identify high-value habitats, establishment of a spatial planning process through the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, creation of grazing reserves and pastoral routes, and safeguarding of wildlife corridors. The NBSAP links poor land use planning and unclear tenure to resource-related conflicts (Jos crisis, Tiv/Jukun crisis), framing spatial planning as both an ecological and a conflict-prevention measure. Sub-national entities are directed to establish their own ecosystem-based spatial planning processes.

Target 2: Ecosystem restoration — Addressed

National commitment 4 targets restoration of up to 15% of degraded ecosystem areas by 2020. Instruments include a National Forest and Vegetation Recovery Programme (including mangroves), a National Rivers and Wetlands Rehabilitation Programme linked to pollution reduction, and support for the Great Green Wall Sahara Programme. Community-based renewable energy facilities (biogas, solar) are specified to reduce fuel wood pressure around restoration areas. Indicators track the percentage of degraded areas under restoration management.

Target 3: Protected areas (30x30) — Addressed

National commitment 6 targets at least 10% of national territory in conservation areas with representation of all ecosystem types, from a baseline of 6%. Actions include upgrading forest reserves and game reserves to National Parks (including marine ecosystems), implementing the Conservation Strategy for Biodiversity in the Niger Delta, and documenting indigenous and local community conservation areas. The monitoring matrix targets 10 new National Parks and representation of 7 ecosystem types (up from 6).

Target 4: Species recovery — Addressed

National commitment 5 commits to implementing six management plans for habitats of endemic and threatened species by 2020. National commitment 7 addresses genetic diversity through documentation in two key institutions and establishment of a national gene bank. A cross-border agreement with Cameroon (September 2008) addresses Cross River gorilla protection through joint enforcement in Cross River and Takamanda National Parks. Community Herbal Heritage Centres are proposed for genetic resource conservation. Monitoring targets include reports for 15 Ramsar sites and 15 priority sites for endemic and threatened species.

Target 5: Sustainable harvest — Mentioned

The NBSAP documents unsustainable harvesting at length — fuel wood dependence (70% of households), a fish protein gap (400,000 tonnes produced against 1.6 million tonnes needed), and high-intensity logging of named timber species. Indirect measures include promoting alternative livelihoods in protected areas and developing renewable energy facilities. No dedicated national commitment or regulatory framework for sustainable harvest is presented.

Target 6: Invasive alien species — Addressed

National commitment 9 targets identification, prioritisation, and control or eradication of invasive species across all six ecological zones by 2020. Three species are profiled: Nypa palm displacing Niger Delta mangroves, water hyacinth threatening one-third of local fish supply, and Typha grass devastating Chad Basin wetlands. Actions include strengthening Plant Quarantine border capacity, establishing a national IAS management framework, promoting utilisation of IAS ("waste to wealth"), and creating an early warning and rapid response system at borders and ports.

Target 7: Pollution reduction — Addressed

National commitment 8 targets control of at least 60% of identified pollution sources by 2020, naming extractive industries and agricultural inputs as priority sources. Actions include reducing agricultural chemicals in waterways, strengthening water quality guidelines, and NOSDRA engagement in oil spill and pipeline management. The UNEP 2011 Ogoniland assessment is cited as evidence. Reduction of fertiliser subsidies is listed as a financing mechanism. Monitoring tracks the percentage increase in sites managed by pollution reduction, with quarterly data collection.

Target 8: Climate and biodiversity — Mentioned

The NBSAP cites the National Adaptation Strategy (NASPA-CCN 2011), projecting 2–11% of GDP lost by 2020 from climate change impacts. Sectoral mainstreaming commits to integrating biodiversity into climate mitigation and adaptation policies. Climate change mitigation is listed among 22 identified implementation technologies. No dedicated national commitment addresses climate-biodiversity interactions.

Target 9: Wild species use — Mentioned

The NBSAP quantifies dependence on wild species (fuel wood, fish, non-timber forest products) and promotes alternative livelihoods and renewable energy as indirect measures. Sustainable utilisation of biodiversity is identified as a priority technology need. No dedicated national commitment or regulatory framework for managed wild species use is presented.

Target 10: Agriculture / forestry — Addressed

The NBSAP commits to developing a national strategy for conservation of agricultural biodiversity and promotion of agroforestry (Action 4.4), and to reviewing the National Forest Policy (Action 4.2). Agroforestry is both a strategy action and a priority technology need. The monitoring matrix tracks development and adoption of the agricultural biodiversity and agroforestry strategy. The NBSAP describes uncontrolled agricultural conversion in protected areas and state forests.

Target 11: Ecosystem services (NbS) — Addressed

National commitment 2 commits to developing a biodiversity valuation programme with PES mainstreamed into the national budget by 2020. The monitoring matrix sets quantified PES targets: 50 payments per year, ₦200 million per year, and 100 beneficiaries. Instruments include national TEEB studies, integration into national accounts, and EIA reform to promote ecosystem service values. PES schemes allowing downstream users to pay for upstream forest protection are specified.

Target 12: Urban biodiversity

Content addressing GBF Target 12 was not identified in this NBSAP.

Target 13: Genetic resources / ABS — Addressed

National commitment 11 commits to acceding to the Nagoya Protocol and commencing a national ABS regime by 2015. Actions include developing a national ABS legislative framework, policy guidelines for bio-prospecting and associated traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights, and sub-national ABS regimes across all 36 states. Protected area structures for sustainable harvesting of non-timber products by local communities are linked to ABS provisions. Monitoring targets accession by 2016 and adoption of a national legislative framework by 2017.

Target 14: Mainstreaming — Addressed

Mainstreaming is the central organising principle under strategic goal 1. National commitment 1 targets 30% population awareness by 2020 through campaigns, curricula reform (primary through tertiary), annual legislative forums, and youth-targeted social media outreach. National commitment 10 calls for NBSAP adoption as a policy instrument with sub-national BSAPs across all 36 states. The sectoral mainstreaming plan outlines seven steps including review of sectoral policies and budgets, stakeholder networks, and an Inter-Agency Committee for sustainable financing.

Target 15: Business disclosure

Content addressing GBF Target 15 was not identified in this NBSAP.

Target 16: Sustainable consumption

Content addressing GBF Target 16 was not identified in this NBSAP.

Target 17: Biosafety — Mentioned

The NBSAP references the National Biosafety Framework (developed with UNEP-GEF) and the Biosafety Act. The NBMECU includes a Biosafety National Focal Point. No national commitment specifically addresses biosafety regulation of living modified organisms.

Target 18: Harmful subsidies — Mentioned

The financing mechanisms table lists "reduction of subsidies" as an instrument, naming fertiliser subsidies as a harmful subsidy to be reduced. This appears in a checklist of financial mechanisms without a dedicated action plan, timeline, or quantified commitment to subsidy reform.

Target 19: Finance mobilisation — Addressed

National commitment 13 targets a 25% increase in national-based biodiversity funding by 2020 (no baseline specified; monitoring matrix targets 50%). Actions include a resource needs assessment, a national funding mechanism with public-private partnerships, integration into national appropriation, and strengthened donor partnerships. Eleven categories of financial mechanisms are listed. Innovative proposals include biodiversity-based lotteries (with a special World Biodiversity Day draw), crowd funding for national parks, biodiversity taxes on polluting industries, three-tier Ecological Fund expansion, ecotourism promotion through festivals, and a National Biodiversity Trust Fund requiring legislative backing.

Target 20: Capacity and technology — Addressed

National commitment 14 commits to capacity-building of key actors, targeting at least 10 beneficiary institutions (from a baseline of 2). The capacity development plan addresses seven core areas across three levels (enabling environment, organisational, individual). A technology needs assessment identifies 22 technologies, six prioritised: community forest and protected area management, gene bank operation, sustainable biodiversity utilisation, indigenous cultivar conservation, unique landform management, and data management and spatial analysis. Train-the-trainers programmes are specified across multiple capacity areas.

Target 21: Data and information — Addressed

The National Clearing House Mechanism (www.chm-cbd.com.ng) provides biodiversity information in English, Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba. The NBMECU coordinates monitoring through detailed matrices covering all 14 national commitments with baselines, targets, data methods, verification means, and reporting frequencies. Periodic Assessment Platforms cover habitats, species, benefit sharing, collaborative management, and the physical environment. The absence of a CHM and M&E framework in the first NBSAP is identified as a key lesson addressed in this revision.

Target 22: Inclusive participation — Addressed

National commitment 12 targets community participation in one project per ecological zone (six total) by 2020. Actions include community capacity-building for ecosystem regeneration, surveys of sacred groves and community lands, guidelines for community-based sustainable forestry, and a national framework for community ecotourism participation. The communication plan engages civil society, community-based organisations, faith-based organisations, schools, and mass media through town hall meetings, essay competitions, and conferences. The monitoring matrix targets at least 20 NBSAP projects with community participation.

Target 23: Gender equality — Addressed

National commitment 14 embeds gender mainstreaming alongside capacity-building. A dedicated gender section instructs coordinators to conduct gender analysis of programmes, develop gender-responsive planning policies, implement positive discrimination measures for women and youth empowerment, and compile gender statistics. Biodiversity awareness publications are directed specifically toward women and youth.