Nigeria is turning to the private sector to close long-standing policy and implementation gaps in its biodiversity agenda, as business leaders, policymakers and conservation experts gathered in Lagos to chart a pathway for delivering the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in line with global commitments.
The meeting, held at the Vintano Hotel, Lekki Phase 1, brought together stakeholders under the Business Advisory Group (BAG) on Biodiversity to mobilise corporate action around the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), a landmark global agreement adopted in 2022 by 196 countries to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.
Despite being one of Africa’s most biodiversity-rich nations, Nigeria faces accelerating threats from deforestation, pollution, unsustainable agricultural practices and climate change. These pressures are eroding ecosystems that underpin food security, livelihoods and long-term economic stability, exposing the limits of government-led conservation efforts without meaningful private sector participation.
Speaking at the event, Oluwaseun Ajayi, Africa Lead for Business for Nature, said the focus has shifted from advocacy to execution. Business for Nature, a global coalition with more than 100 partners, has played a key role in pushing for ambitious biodiversity targets globally. “The real work now is implementation. We need credible success stories, and Nigeria is well-positioned to demonstrate how businesses can engage national biodiversity strategies and deliver measurable impact,” Ajayi said.
He noted that while Nigerian companies have made progress on climate action and ESG reporting, biodiversity remains a weak link in corporate sustainability. The Lagos engagement was therefore designed to deepen understanding of biodiversity risks, emerging regulations and the role of business in shaping effective, investable policy frameworks. Insights from the discussions will inform the development of a national business biodiversity action plan.
Also speaking, Joseph Onoja, Director-General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), said the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework represents a turning point for corporate accountability on nature. He highlighted GBF Target 15, which mandates businesses to assess, disclose and reduce their impacts on biodiversity. “This moves biodiversity from voluntary action to structured, measurable accountability for the private sector,” Onoja said.
Participants acknowledged that Nigeria has validated and submitted its NBSAP but identified critical gaps slowing implementation. These include weak enforcement, the absence of sector-specific guidelines, limited incentives for private investment in nature and capacity constraints among small and medium-sized enterprises. Without addressing these gaps, stakeholders warned, global biodiversity commitments risk remaining largely symbolic.
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Eugene Itua, Chief Executive Officer of Natural Eco Capital, warned that Nigeria’s natural capital is declining even as global momentum to reverse nature loss accelerates. Drawing parallels with the Paris Agreement, he said the GBF establishes a science-based framework that will increasingly shape regulation, finance and corporate reporting, similar to mandatory emissions tracking in climate policy.
Beyond regulation, speakers stressed the economic logic of biodiversity protection. Nigeria’s forests, wetlands and marine ecosystems support millions of livelihoods through agriculture, fisheries, non-timber forest products, medicine and ecotourism. Sites such as the Hadejia–Nguru wetlands, which host migratory birds from across continents, illustrate the untapped economic potential of nature-based industries.
Participants agreed that delivering the Kunming–Montreal framework in Nigeria will require policies co-designed with business, clear sector-specific rules, incentive mechanisms and sustained engagement through platforms such as the BAG. As nature-related risks rise on the global business agenda, the message from Lagos was clear: Nigeria’s biodiversity goals will only be realised if business moves from awareness to action.
