The Alternative Bank (AltBank) has urged Nigeria’s private sector to take an active, leading role in driving climate action, as stakeholders at the Nigerian Environmental Summit (NESt) 2026 called for stronger environmental governance, greater accountability and increased investment in the country’s green economy.
The summit, held in Abuja under the theme ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Green Economy: Driving Climate Action and Sustainable Environmental Governance,’ brought together government officials, business leaders and development partners to confront Nigeria’s growing environmental challenges, including flooding, pollution, desertification and biodiversity loss.
Mohammed Abdul, Divisional Head, Commercial and Institutional Banking (Core North) at The Alternative Bank, delivered the call to action at the summit’s opening, making clear that environmental responsibility is inseparable from business purpose.
“Our role here is to support an initiative that has a direct impact on the nation. Every private-sector organisation should see itself as a stakeholder and team player in this effort because it serves a national objective,” Abdul said.
He described environmental sustainability as a core business priority for the bank, with social, environmental and ethical considerations embedded across its operations and financing decisions.
“At The Alternative Bank, we view our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) through an impact-driven lens, focusing on sustainable interventions that create measurable value for communities and the economy,” he said.
AltBank’s sustainability commitments span environmental and social action. Its WasteBanc recycling programme, currently active in Lagos State and set to expand to Kano and beyond, addresses waste at the community level. The Walk4ZeroPlastic campaign takes that mission further, targeting plastic pollution reduction and responsible waste habits at the grassroots level.
The bank also supports women entrepreneurs through the Matazalla Women’s Mobility Initiative and the Light Her Program, providing eco-friendly electric tricycles, capital and mentorship.
The bank is also promoting clean cooking solutions and renewable energy financing, aligning its activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goals 13 and 17 on climate action and global partnerships. These initiatives, among others, reflect a sustainability agenda that goes beyond policy statements into measurable, on-the-ground impact.
Governance strategist and public policy expert Dr Murtala Mohammed identified weak enforcement and coordination, not a shortage of policies, as Nigeria’s central environmental challenge.
“The challenge is not the absence of policy. The challenge is implementation, enforcement, coordination and accountability,” he said. He proposed the creation of a Nigerian Environmental Governance Index to assess and rank states on environmental performance, regulatory compliance, financing, institutional capacity and accountability.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas Anwukah, warned that the economic and public health costs of inaction would be severe and stressed that national commitments must translate into local delivery.
“A commitment made in Abuja that does not reach Kebbi, Borno, Nasarawa, or the local government areas is not ‘accountability’. It remains paperwork,” she said.
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Environmental Summit Group, Mrs Rita Michael-Ojo, set the tone for the collaborative spirit the summit sought to advance.
“We are here because we recognise that no single institution, sector or individual can solve these challenges alone. The government must lead. The private sector must invest. Development partners must collaborate. Communities must participate,” she said.
The summit continues with policy dialogues and technical sessions focused on translating climate commitments into investment, institutional reform and measurable environmental outcomes.
