swediworld

On 2 July 2025, SWEDIWorld’s founder joined policymakers, private-sector actors and community voices at the Decarbonizing Infrastructure in Nigeria Summit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, held with the National Council on Climate Change Secretariat. The summit asked a practical question: how do we fund the future we say we want?

With fellow change-makers at the summit, including Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi.
With fellow change-makers at the summit, including Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi.

Key takeaways

  • Vice President Kashim Shettima shared that 75% of Nigeria’s emissions come from infrastructure, and announced a USD 60 million Green Port project to cut diesel use.
  • Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe emphasised how urgent the transition is and the key role of the private sector.
  • Musaddiq Mustapha spoke about the need to give states and local actors the tools to lead, and not only Abuja.
  • Participants kept returning to finance: how to unlock it, how to localise it, and how to ensure communities can actually access it, “not just big numbers, but real money in the hands of people doing real work”.

Why it matters to SWEDIWorld

SWEDIWorld works at the community level, in schools, planting trees, educating girls and building climate solutions from the ground up, which is where the benefits of climate finance have to land. Being in rooms where infrastructure and finance decisions are made helps the organisation make the case for efficient systems that align with national and global climate goals and that reach women, girls and smallholder farmers.