Nigeria Advocates for Action on Land Restoration at COP17

At the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Monday, 24th August 2026, Nigeria's Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, urged for stronger international cooperation and increased investment to address land degradation, desertification, and drought. He emphasized that the success of the UNCCD should be measured by tangible improvements in the lives of affected communities.

The Minister highlighted that approximately 50 percent of Nigeria's land is affected by degradation, impacting agriculture, pastoralism, and rural communities. He reiterated Nigeria's commitment to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets and called for support in finance, water security, land restoration, and sustainable food systems.

The Nigerian delegation included Saleh Abubakar, Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), reinforcing Nigeria's commitment to partnerships and practical interventions for land restoration and sustainable livelihoods.