Economic experts have called for data-driven policies and expanded social protection programmes to cushion the impact of climate shocks and insecurity on employment, livelihoods and household welfare in Nigeria, warning that women and other vulnerable groups face growing economic risks.

They urged governments to integrate climate adaptation, conflict prevention and social protection into economic planning, stressing that flooding, drought, extreme heat and violent conflicts were undermining livelihoods and employment opportunities, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors.

The experts spoke in Abuja at a policy dissemination workshop on Climate, Conflict and Gendered Work in Nigeria. At the workshop, researchers and policymakers examined how environmental disasters and insecurity affect men and women differently in the labour market.

Presenting the research findings, the lead researcher and convener, Dr. Khadijat Busola Amolegbe, of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin, said the study examined the interconnected effects of conflict and climate-related disasters on employment opportunities and household welfare over approximately 12 months.

Speaking on Nigeria’s social protection response to climate and conflict shocks, Amolegbe said the findings provided evidence to guide policies aimed at protecting vulnerable households and strengthening their capacity to withstand economic disruptions.

She stressed the need for coordinated interventions that recognise the links between environmental disasters, insecurity and access to decent work, noting that effective social protection policies must respond to the multiple shocks confronting households.

The Global Lead of the Women Environmental Programme, Dr. Priscilla Achakpa, called on governments and other stakeholders to prioritise disaster preparedness and preventive measures rather than wait for crises to occur before intervening.

She said proactive planning was essential to reducing the economic and social costs of climate shocks and conflicts, particularly for communities whose livelihoods depended on climate-sensitive activities.

Achakpa’s position underscored the need for early intervention to protect livelihoods, limit disruptions to economic activities and reduce the vulnerability of households to recurring environmental and security crises.

Similarly, the Head of the National Social Register at the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office, Mohammed Bala, advocated an integrated approach linking social protection, climate change adaptation and conflict-risk mitigation.

Bala said adaptive social protection depended on reliable data to identify vulnerable households and ensure that government assistance reached those most affected by poverty, environmental disasters and insecurity.

He described the National Social Register as a critical instrument for identifying poor and vulnerable households but said its coverage needed to expand to accommodate more Nigerians requiring assistance.

Citing poverty estimates, Bala said the 2019 Nigeria Living Standards Survey put the country’s poverty rate at 40.1 per cent, while a more recent World Bank estimate placed it at 53 per cent.

He added that multidimensional poverty affected approximately 63 per cent of Nigerians, highlighting the scale of vulnerability and the need to improve the reach and effectiveness of social protection programmes.

According to him, the National Social Register currently covers about 20 million households, representing approximately 78 million individuals.

Bala stressed that improved data collection, stronger coordination among government agencies and evidence-based planning would help authorities design interventions that respond more effectively to the overlapping pressures of climate disasters, conflict and economic hardship.

The workshop also highlighted the importance of collaboration among researchers, government institutions and civil society organisations in translating research findings into practical policies capable of protecting livelihoods and strengthening economic resilience.

Participants called for gender-responsive employment, climate adaptation and social protection policies that account for the different ways environmental shocks and insecurity affect men and women.
They emphasised that understanding these differences was critical to ensuring that government interventions reached those most at risk, protected household incomes and strengthened the resilience of vulnerable communities.