Africa’s climate agenda is expected to take a stronger implementation focus as policymakers, investors, businesses and development experts gather in Abuja for the fourth Africa Climate Forum (ACF) 2026.

Organised by the Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy (GCLBE), the two-day forum will take place 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 will examine how governments, businesses, investors and institutions can collaborate to convert Africa’s climate ambitions into measurable results.

According to the organisers, the discussions come amid continuing challenges involving climate finance, coordination and the implementation of climate commitments.

Convener of the Africa Climate Forum and Director-General of GCLBE, Prof. George Nwangwu, said stronger cooperation between institutions and sectors was essential to effective climate action.

“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,” he said.

The forum is expected to draw policymakers, business executives, climate practitioners, development institutions, academics and other stakeholders from Africa and beyond.

Expected participants include Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson, Director and UNIDO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS; Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olasupo Shasore; Hon. Sam Onuigbo, Governing Board Member and Chairman of the Committee on Security, Special Interventions and Climate Change at the North East Development Commission; former Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr Salisu Dahiru; and Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye.

Other speakers listed for the forum 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.

Key discussions will address several areas central to Africa’s climate transition, including private enterprise, carbon markets, energy access and natural gas, food security, adaptation, community-led climate action, human rights and the just transition.

Participants will also explore the use of artificial intelligence, data and digital technologies to strengthen climate planning, monitoring and delivery.

A key component of the programme will be the ACF Deal Room, which will connect climate project developers and green businesses with investors and financial institutions seeking opportunities to develop partnerships and unlock funding for climate-related projects.

The organisers said the Deal Room would offer a practical avenue for climate solutions to connect with prospective investors and partners, reflecting the forum’s emphasis on implementation rather than declarations alone.

The programme will also include a Pulitzer Centre side event on Journalism, Climate Action and Civic Space Engagement. The session will consider the contribution of public-interest journalism to climate accountability, public understanding and the amplification of experiences from communities affected by climate change.

The Abuja gathering follows climate discussions held in Accra earlier in the year, where stakeholders considered climate partnerships, financing, the just transition and public-private collaboration.

Launched in 2023, the Africa Climate Forum has brought together stakeholders from government, business, investment and development to discuss Africa’s climate response.

Source: The Guardian