On 17th September 2025, community leaders, policymakers, and advocates for sustainable agriculture gathered at the Karu Local Government Secretariat, Nasarawa State, for a high-level dialogue on “Agroecology, Climate Resilience, and Local Environmental Policy Opportunities.”
The event, convened by Ecosteward Foundation under the auspices of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), in partnership with EnviroNews Network, Ecocykle Foundation, GIFSEP, GreenFaith Nigeria, and Community Action for Food Sovereignty (CAFS), brought together a coalition of civil society organizations and grassroots movements committed to advancing agroecological development and environmental justice in Nigeria.
Agroecology as a Solution to Climate and Food Challenges
Discussions underscored the urgency of addressing climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and rising food insecurity challenges that disproportionately affect rural communities. Speakers emphasized that agroecology, rooted in indigenous knowledge and ecological science, provides a people-centered and sustainable pathway to tackle these crises.
By promoting organic farming, waste-to-resource models, seed preservation, and community-led conservation, agroecology strengthens food sovereignty while building resilient local economies. Participants highlighted successful field-based examples from across Africa, demonstrating how agroecology can reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-driven agriculture and empower vulnerable populations.
Local Policy Integration for Long-Term Impact
A major focus of the dialogue was the need to integrate agroecology into local governance frameworks. The coalition called for legislative support, particularly through local bye-laws, to institutionalize practices such as land restoration, sustainable land use, and seed sovereignty. Without enabling policies, participants warned, grassroots innovations risk remaining isolated and unsustained.
Embedding climate-smart agriculture into Karu’s local government agenda was seen as a vital step toward securing the legal and institutional backing necessary for long-term transformation.
Building Partnerships for Inclusive Governance
Mr. Nweze Emmanuel, Program Director of Ecosteward Foundation, alongside coalition partners, reaffirmed their commitment to co-creating sustainable initiatives with Karu Local Government. The courtesy visit served not only as an advocacy milestone but also as a platform for building stronger partnerships that align community-led innovations with government priorities.
The dialogue emphasized that inclusive governance where communities, policymakers, and civil society collaborate, remains central to achieving climate resilience and environmental justice.
A Replicable Model for Climate Action in Nigeria
As the engagement concluded, participants reaffirmed the urgency of scaling up community innovations, strengthening local environmental governance, and ensuring that Nigeria’s youth and rural communities remain at the heart of climate action.
However, a critical gap identified was the limited capacity of local legislators and policymakers to design, adopt, and enforce frameworks that support agroecology and climate resilience. While communities are innovating at the grassroots, these efforts often remain fragmented without strong institutional and legal backing.
Capacity building for legislators is therefore essential. Equipping them with knowledge on agroecology, sustainable land use, seed sovereignty, and climate-smart agriculture will not only improve policy formulation but also ensure that bye-laws and local regulations are evidence-based, inclusive, and future-oriented.
By empowering lawmakers with the right tools, training, and exposure to best practices, Nigeria can bridge the gap between community-driven solutions and institutional support systems. This alignment is crucial for creating an enabling environment where policies reinforce grassroots innovations, making climate action replicable and sustainable across all local governments.
Ultimately, strengthening legislative capacity is not just about governance it is about ensuring that the fight against climate change is inclusive, science-informed, and resilient enough to secure food sovereignty and ecological justice for generations to come.
This initiative in New Karu sets a replicable model for other local governments, paving the way for a climate-resilient Nigeria where people, policies, and the planet thrive together. www.ecostewardafrica.org