FIDAC Trains Stakeholders On Kano Green Budgeting, Financing Climate Action Plan

Participants at a one day workshop organized by Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Center (FIDAC) on green budgeting and financing climate action plan in Kano have called on government to deploy a strategy that will ensure sustainability of tree plantation across 44 local government areas.

The participants also called on civil society organizations working on climate engagement to track releases and utilization of ecological funds given to the state government.

They also emphasize the importance of collaboration between government and agencies, CSOs and the media to promote green budgeting and financing climate action in Kano.

In a communique signed  by FIDAC executive director Dr Abdusslam Kani said, the workshop was organized to sensitize the participants on mainstreaming climate change, climate governance as well as building their capacity on greening Kano state 2025 budget.

Dr Kani also explained that, the workshop is aimed at enlightened the participants on advocacy and media engagement on financing climate action in Kano.

“Cognizance of the pivotal role of building the capacity of CSOs, media, members of academia and private sector as well as traditional and religious leaders on the effects of climate change and its mitigating measures, Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Centre (FIDAC) in collaboration with Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), find it expedient to organize a one-day workshop to on Green Budgeting and Financing Climate Action in Kano State”

“Accordingly, a workshop for the above stakeholders was convened on 6th February 2025 at AMG Foundation, Kano State to further strengthen the capacity of participants and create necessary awareness on reducing the environmental effects of climate change using green budgeting and financing climate action”

He said, “the objectives of the Retreat include sensitizing the participants on mainstreaming Climate Change, Climate Governance and Green Financing as well To build the capacity of the participants on greening Kano State 2025 Budget, Approach and Budgetary Provisions and to enlighten the participants on advocacy and Media engagement on Financing Climate Action in Kano State
To galvanize support for collective actions towards public recognition of the realities of climate change and its adaptation measures

The workshop had participants from the Ministry of Planning and Budget, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Finance, Kano State Watershed Erosion & Climate Change Management Agency (KN-WECCMA), Research and Documentation Directorate, Government House, traditional institutions, private sector, Open Government Partnership (OGP), Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE), members of Academia and development partners that include Lafiya, RoLAC II, PLANE and ProPcom.

During goodwill messages, Kano state government was commended for supporting climate change as evidenced in its February 29, 2024 Declaration on Climate Change and Environment, tree plantation initiative, conversion of the streetlights from using diesel to solar, recent attempt by the state debt management office to introduce green bonds, renaming of Ministry of environment to ministry of environment and climate change and the readiness of the Ministry of Planning and Budget to imbibe the idea of green budgeting.

During the Technical Sessions, three resource persons made presentations on mainstreaming Climate Change – Climate Governance and Green Financing, Greening Kano State 2025 Budget – Approach and Budgetary Provisions and Advocacy and Media engagement on Financing Climate Action in Kano State.

2. Observations

Arising from discussions on the presentations made, participants made the following observations:
It was observed that most of the trees planted during the state government’s tree plantation exercises died due to lack of community ownership and sensitization on the effects of climate change.
Lack of transparency and accountability in government utilization of Ecological Funds by the state government is observed by the participants during the workshop.
There was no existence of a single CSOs Coalition working on Climate Engagement in Kano State.
The inspiration for CSOs advocacy and media engagement on the effects of climate change and its adaptation measures is observed to be grossly inadequate.

The imperative of sustainability of Citizens’ Capacity building on climate engagement is noted during the one-day workshop.

Action points
The workshop resolved that there is a need for the establishment of climate change clubs in schools and institutions.
The participants unanimously called for CSOs working on Climate engagement to track releases and utilizations of Ecological Funds given to the Kano State government by the Federal government.
The workshop urged the participants, bearing in mind the imperativeness of the papers presented during the technical session, to organize step-down training to CBOs on green budgeting and financing climate action in Kano State.

The workshop stresses the need for building the capacity of CSOs on resource mobilization to champion the campaign for green budgeting and financing climate action.

“The participants called on the government to deploy a strategy that will ensure the sustainability of tree plantation across the 44 LGAs in Kano State.
CSOs present at the workshop committed to ensuring continuous advocacy and enlightenment, engaging community members and promoting ownership of the planted trees and also environmental management.

The need for a community-driven plan to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change issues was amplified by the participants at the end of the workshop.
The participants emphasized the importance of collaboration between government agencies, CSOs, and the media to promote green budgeting and financing climate action in Kano state.

The workshop resolved that there is a need to form a coalition that will harmonize stakeholders working on Climate Change under one Umbrella for easy access, and also understand the components each organization is addressing around climate change issues.

In conclusion, the finalized and validated Action Points will be utilized by FIDAC and other CSOs working around climate change to ensure mitigation of climate change effects in Kano State.

Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Centre (FIDAC), a non-governmental organization raising the standards of fiscal discipline and development in Nigeria.

Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), is a 48-month UK government funded Programme in Kano, Jigawa and Kaduna