By Woke Joshua
Stakeholders from government, business, finance and the development sector are set to converge in Abuja for the 2026 Africa Climate Forum (ACF), with discussions centred on accelerating the implementation of climate commitments across Africa.
The fourth edition of the forum, organised by the Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy (GCLBE), will hold on October 13 and 14 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Themed “Implementing in Lockstep: Public-Private Action for Green Outcomes,” the event is expected to explore practical ways of converting climate policies and commitments into measurable results through stronger public-private collaboration.
According to the organisers, the forum will address some of the major barriers to Africa’s climate transition, including access to finance, investment, institutional coordination and effective execution.
Expected speakers include 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.
Also expected are 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.
The Convener of ACF and Director-General of GCLBE, Prof. George Nwangwu, said the focus on implementation was informed by the need for closer coordination among institutions and stakeholders responsible for delivering climate action.
Nwangwu noted that climate action could not be driven by ambition alone, stressing the importance of collaboration between governments, businesses and financial institutions in delivering tangible outcomes.
He said the forum would also create opportunities to deepen existing partnerships, forge new collaborations and develop commitments capable of producing measurable climate results.
The two-day event will feature plenary discussions on private-sector participation in climate action, carbon markets, energy access and natural gas, food security and adaptation, community-led climate initiatives, human rights and the just transition.
Participants will equally examine how artificial intelligence, data and digital technologies can be deployed to strengthen climate planning, implementation and delivery across the continent.
A major feature of the forum will be the ACF Deal Room, designed to bring together climate project developers, green businesses, investors and financial institutions to explore partnerships and funding opportunities.
The programme will also feature a Pulitzer Centre side event on Journalism, Climate Action and Civic Space Engagement, which will examine the contribution of public-interest journalism to climate accountability, public awareness and amplification of the experiences of communities affected by climate change.
The Abuja forum builds on earlier climate engagements organised by ACF in Accra, where stakeholders considered issues including climate partnerships, financing, the just transition and public-private cooperation.
Since its establishment in 2023, the Africa Climate Forum has brought together stakeholders across the policy, business, investment and development sectors to examine Africa’s climate response.
The 2026 edition is expected to deepen those conversations by shifting greater attention from climate commitments and policy declarations to coordinated implementation and measurable outcomes.