Stakeholders in Nigeria’s environmental sector converged in Katsina on Monday as the 18th National Council on Environment (NCE) kicked off its technical session, with assurances that the outcome of the meeting will strengthen national environmental policy and drive sustainability across the country.
Opening the session on December 15, 2025, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Kambari, said the council—Nigeria’s highest environmental policy-making body—offers a critical platform for the Federal Government, states and development partners to review progress, confront emerging challenges and adopt resolutions that will shape the nation’s environmental future.
Kambari explained that deliberations at the council are expected to reinforce policy direction at all levels of government, stressing that environmental sustainability remains central to Nigeria’s development agenda.
He noted that the 2025 theme, “Tackling the Triple Planetary Crisis of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Pollution for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” underscores the urgent need for collective action to address threats to ecosystems, food security, public health and long-term economic growth.
The Permanent Secretary commended the Katsina State Government and its people for hosting the meeting, while also applauding the Minister of Environment, state commissioners, development partners and other stakeholders for their sustained commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.
Earlier, the Head of Service to the Katsina State Government and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Alhaji Falalu Bawale, described the gathering as a strong signal of renewed resolve to protect the environment through professional expertise and coordinated action.
Bawale thanked the Federal Ministry of Environment for selecting Katsina as host, describing the National Council on Environment as a strategic policy organ that provides a vital platform for dialogue, policy harmonisation and targeted interventions. He added that the council would expose the state to best practices in environmental resilience and climate change compliance.
The 18th National Council on Environment is scheduled to be formally declared open on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
The disclosure was contained in a statement signed by Ibrahim Haruna, Director of Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Environment.
