The Special Adviser on Climate Change to the Katsina State Government, Prof. Mohammed Al-Amin, says Gov. Dikko Radda’s climate action policies are transforming climate-induced conflicts into opportunities for peace, economic growth and environmental restoration.
Al-Amin stated this in a feature highlighting the impact of the newly inaugurated Jibia Climate Peace Hub, describing it as a model for addressing the link between climate change, insecurity and poverty in North-West Nigeria.
According to him, the hub, established through a partnership involving the Katsina State Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Norway, is already helping to reduce tensions between farmers and herders while creating new economic opportunities for residents.
He said the initiative was part of Radda’s climate-security agenda aimed at tackling the root causes of banditry and communal conflicts through sustainable livelihoods and improved management of natural resources.
“Climate change is the silent fuel of banditry and farmer-herder clashes. When pastures disappear and water becomes scarce, conflicts emerge.
“The Jibia Climate Peace Hub provides practical solutions through dialogue, skills acquisition and climate-smart agriculture,” he quoted the governor as saying.
Al-Amin noted that the governor had elevated climate change to a cabinet-level priority by creating the Office of the Special Adviser on Climate Change, making Katsina one of the few states in Nigeria with a structured climate governance framework.
He added that the state government backed its commitment with substantial funding, including over N8 billion allocated to climate adaptation, erosion control, watershed management, afforestation and early warning systems in the 2025 budget.
The adviser explained that one of the hub’s major achievements was the establishment of a conflict-resolution mechanism where farmers and herders meet regularly to resolve disputes over land, grazing routes and water resources before they escalate into violence.
He said the programme had also trained hundreds of farmers on climate-smart agricultural practices, including drought-resistant farming, soil conservation and the use of weather information for farm planning.
According to him, similar climate adaptation training programmes are being implemented across several local government areas to improve food security and strengthen community resilience.
Al-Amin further said the hub was empowering youths and women through vocational training in solar energy installation, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, reducing unemployment and vulnerability to recruitment by criminal groups.
He noted that the state government was simultaneously pursuing large-scale afforestation projects, including the planting of 35,000 fruit trees in each local government area, school-based tree planting campaigns and landscape restoration programmes under the Dikko Greens initiative.
The adviser said Katsina’s climate interventions had attracted growing international recognition, positioning the state as a reference point for climate-security programming in the Sahel region.
He explained that the Jibia Climate Peace Hub combines technical support from UNDP, funding from the Norwegian Government and operational backing from the Katsina State Government to deliver climate resilience and peacebuilding outcomes.
Al-Amin quoted the governor as saying that the success recorded in Jibia had encouraged plans to replicate the model in other frontline local government areas affected by environmental degradation and insecurity.
He said the visible signs of progress included improved community relations, returning displaced families, revitalised economic activities and increased cooperation among resource users.
According to him, the Jibia experience demonstrates that climate action can serve as a powerful tool for promoting peace, restoring livelihoods and strengthening security in vulnerable communities.