The Lagos State has taken the lead in Nigeria’s push to decarbonise its building sector, hosting a high-level regional workshop that brought together government leaders, industry players, academics, civil society, and development partners.
The event, held in Lagos, marked the Southwest Regional Workshop of the NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings Project, a global initiative under the World Green Building Council’s “Be Bold on Buildings” campaign. Nigeria is one of five countries — alongside Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, and the Philippines — participating in the effort to align national building policies with climate commitments ahead of COP30.
According to a statement by Green Building Council Nigeria (GBCN), the event was organised in collaboration with the Lagos State Office of e-GIS and Urban Development. The workshop followed national consultations across 14 States and the FCT that produced an Action Plan for Strengthening Decarbonisation and Resilience in Nigeria’s Built Environment.
“Lagos has long been at the forefront of green building reforms,” said Segun Williams, senior special assistant to the Governor on Urban Development, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of Olajide Abiodun Babatunde, Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development “This dialogue aligns with our commitment to sustainable development, green energy, and green building practices.”
The programme featured fireside chats, peer-learning sessions, and sector responses. Participants highlighted opportunities and barriers in adopting sustainable building practices, citing enforcement gaps, fragmented responsibilities, and the need for translating national policies into state-level action.
“We’re seeing strong alignment on codes, finance, and data,” noted Sangeetha Ramaraj, Technical and Innovation Officer at GBCN. “But there are still major gaps that workshops like this help surface.”
The workshop drew participation from Lagos Ministries of Housing, Environment, and Water Resources, as well as professional bodies, private firms like Lafarge, and research institutions such as the University of Lagos.
“We’ve started revising our curricula to integrate green construction principles,” said Olatunji Oladiran of the University of Lagos. “This future-proofs our graduates and positions academia as an engine of implementation.”
Representatives from Osun State also shared their experiences. “We are fostering inter-ministerial collaboration through joint workshops and shared frameworks,” said Mojisola Jacob Clara from the state’s Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning.
According to Omoyemi Olayiwola, director, Research & Innovation GBCN, the session generated more than 45 actionable takeaways. “The bigger challenge is ensuring measurable impact, not just policies on paper,” he said.
The NDC Scorecard Project will continue with additional regional workshops in the North-Central and South-South zones to deepen momentum for reform. These efforts feed into the global Be Bold on Buildings campaign, which is pushing for the construction sector — responsible for nearly 40% of global energy-related emissions — to take center stage in climate action ahead of COP30.
Danjuma Waniko, President, GBCN, said, “We are proud to be part of this global campaign, adding that Nigeria has an opportunity to lead by example in Africa and make buildings part of the climate solution.”
