By Asa Onye
Stakeholders from government, business, development institutions and the climate sector will converge in Abuja next week for the fourth edition of the Africa Climate Forum (ACF), with a focus on how Africa can translate climate commitments into measurable action.
The two-day forum, scheduled for October 13–14, 2026, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, will be held under the theme, “Implementing in Lockstep: Public-Private Action for Green Outcomes.”
Organised by the Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy (GCLBE), the forum is expected to bring together policymakers, business executives, climate practitioners, investors, development institutions, academics and other stakeholders from Africa and beyond.
The organisers said the forum would examine how policy, investment, enterprise and institutions can work together to address persistent challenges around climate finance, coordination and implementation.
According to the Convener of the Africa Climate Forum and Director General of GCLBE, Prof. George Nwangwu, effective climate action requires greater coordination among governments, businesses and financial institutions.
“Climate action requires more than ambition. It requires governments, businesses and financial institutions to move together. We have an opportunity to refine our partnerships, forge new ones, and make bold commitments that can translate into meaningful action,” Nwangwu said.
Among those expected at the forum are Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson, Director and UNIDO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS; Olasupo Shasore, SAN, Senior Partner at Africa Law Practice NG & Company; Hon. Sam Onuigbo, Governing Board Member and Chairman of the Committee on Security, Special Interventions and Climate Change at the North East Development Commission; Dr Salisu Dahiru, former Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change; and Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye, Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.
Other contributors include Dr Forster Boateng, Managing Director of C4Impact Advisory Group; Dr Gloria Boamah Kusi, Senior Sustainability Officer at the Jospong Green Transition Office; Dr Debany Fonseca Batista, Research Associate at Dalhousie University’s CERC.OCEAN Laboratory and Executive Director of the DOTCAN Institute; and Claudette Hutchinson, Chief Executive Officer and AI Implementation Architect at Owning My.
Discussions at the forum will cover several issues central to Africa’s climate transition, including the role of private enterprise, carbon markets, energy access and natural gas, food security and climate adaptation.
Other areas include community-led climate action, human rights and the just transition, as well as the application of artificial intelligence, data and digital technologies to improve climate planning and implementation.
A major feature of the forum will be the ACF Deal Room, which will provide a platform for climate project developers, green businesses, investors and financial institutions to connect.
The organisers said the initiative, which will run throughout the two-day event, is designed to help link climate solutions with potential partners and sources of capital.
The programme will also feature a Pulitzer Centre side event on Journalism, Climate Action and Civic Space Engagement, focusing on the role of public-interest journalism in strengthening climate accountability, improving public understanding and amplifying the experiences of communities affected by climate change.
The Abuja forum follows climate conversations held by the ACF in Accra earlier in 2026, where participants examined climate partnerships, financing, the just transition and public-private collaboration.
Since its launch in 2023, the Africa Climate Forum has brought together stakeholders from the policy, business, investment and development sectors to discuss Africa’s climate response.
The 2026 edition is expected to build on those discussions by placing greater emphasis on implementation and on strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to deliver tangible climate outcomes across the continent.
