Nigeria in Focus

Supporting Private-Sector Action for Cleaner Transport and Air in Nigeria

Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions remain among Nigeria’s most pressing economic and public health challenges, with the transport sector at the centre of this intersection. Transport accounts for an estimated 15% of national greenhouse gas emissions and is a major source of harmful air pollutants, including black carbon and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The impacts are severe: air pollution is now the third leading risk factor for premature death in Nigeria, with children, women, and older people disproportionately affected. An estimated one in four infant deaths is linked to air pollution exposure, underscoring the urgency of accelerating cleaner transport solutions. (Further analysis of transport trends in Nigeria is available in SLOCAT’s GSR4.)

Nigeria has taken important steps to address climate change, including through the adoption of its Climate Change Act (2021), Energy Transition Plan, and net-zero target – placing it among the few African countries with such ambition. However, private-sector engagement remains limited. Many businesses, particularly in the transport sector, face persistent barriers, including limited access to standardised guidance, technical capacity, and finance to measure and reduce emissions.

To help bridge this gap and accelerate Nigeria’s low-carbon transition, SLOCAT has partnered with Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University of York (consortium leader), AP3 Advisory, Escher Silverman Global (ESG), and Consulting Engineers Group (CEG) to deliver the project Enhancing Private Sector Capacity for Climate and Clean Air Action in Nigeria, under the UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transition (UK PACT) initiative. 

Over 15 months, the project aims to equip businesses – particularly in the transport sector – with practical skills and tools to quantify and report emissions, access climate finance, and design and implement actionable clean air strategies. SLOCAT’s contribution focuses on providing technical knowledge on sustainable transport implementation and climate finance, building on earlier UK Aid-supported work, including the Policy Guide to Improving Access to Climate Finance for Transport. 

Project implementation began in December 2025 with two stakeholder consultation workshops in Abuja and Enugu. These workshops brought together private-sector actors, government agencies, regulators, technical experts, financiers, and civil society, establishing a shared understanding of priorities and laying the groundwork for coordinated action.