Preamble

The CSOs/NGOs Climate Finance Workshop and the Consultative Advocacy Forum on Grassroots-Driven Climate Action by Rural Women Farmers in Nigeria convened by ICEHD, brought together key stakeholders, including civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government representatives from the National Council on Climate Change, the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Women Affairs, Environment, financial institutions, academia, and rural women farmers in Abuja, Nigeria, on the 20^th and 21^st of January 2025. The events aimed to address the pressing challenges of climate change in Nigeria's agricultural sector and explore innovative financing solutions to support grassroots climate action. Participants recognized the invaluable role of rural women farmers in climate resilience and adaptation efforts and underscored the need for increased support through policy advocacy, capacity building, and access to climate finance.

Objectives of the Workshop and Advocacy Forum

The workshop emphasized the significant role that rural women farmers play in driving climate action and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. It seeks to explore climate finance mechanisms that are accessible and specifically designed to meet the unique needs of grassroots women farmers. Furthermore, it aims to foster strong partnerships among various stakeholders to facilitate effective policy implementation and advocacy efforts. Recognizing the numerous challenges rural women farmers face in accessing climate finance, the workshop strives to identify these obstacles and propose practical solutions. Ultimately, it endeavors to develop actionable recommendations that can guide government bodies and development partners in their efforts to support grassroots-driven climate initiatives.

Deliberations and Observations

The discussions at the workshop and advocacy forum emphasized the following key issues:

1. Challenges Faced by Rural Women Farmers:

• Limited access to climate finance due to stringent eligibility criteria and lack of information.
• Insufficient knowledge and skills in climate-smart agricultural practices.
• Socio-cultural barriers hindering women’s participation in decision-making processes.
• Inadequate infrastructure and support systems for climate-resilient farming.

2. Opportunities for Grassroots-Driven Climate Action:

• Harnessing indigenous knowledge and traditional practices for climate adaptation.
• Leveraging digital technology for climate information dissemination and financial inclusion.
• Strengthening community-based organizations to amplify women’s voices in climate governance.
• Enhancing the role of CSOs and NGOs in capacity building and advocacy.

3. Climate Finance Mechanisms

• Exploring gender-responsive climate finance instruments tailored to grassroots realities.
• Strengthening the linkages between financial institutions and rural women farmers.
• Promoting public-private partnerships to drive investments in climate-smart agriculture.
• Ensuring transparency and accountability in the disbursement of climate funds.

Resolutions and Recommendations

Based on the deliberations, the following resolutions were adopted:

1. Policy and Advocacy:

• Government agencies should prioritize gender-responsive policies that enhance rural women farmers' access to climate finance.
• CSOs and NGOs should intensify advocacy efforts to influence policy formulation and implementation.
• Establishment of multi-stakeholder platforms to facilitate dialogue and collaboration.

2. Capacity Building:

• Conduct regular training sessions on climate-smart agricultural techniques for rural women.
• Develop simplified and context-specific climate finance literacy programs.
• Encourage knowledge exchange between rural women farmers and climate experts.

3. Access to Finance:

• Financial institutions should design flexible and accessible financial products for rural women.
• Government should allocate dedicated climate adaptation funds for rural women farmers.
• Development partners should provide technical assistance in proposal writing and fund access.

4. Community Engagement and Participation:

• Strengthen grassroots organizations to drive community-led climate solutions.
• Promote the inclusion of rural women in local climate action planning and implementation.
• Recognize and support indigenous climate adaptation strategies.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Develop robust monitoring frameworks to track the impact of climate finance initiatives.
• Encourage participatory evaluation approaches involving rural women farmers.
• Establish feedback mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement.

Conclusion

The workshop and advocacy forum reaffirmed the commitment of all stakeholders to advancing grassroots-driven climate action in Nigeria. It was unanimously agreed that rural women farmers are pivotal to achieving climate resilience and food security, and their inclusion in climate finance and policy initiatives is imperative. These women farmers call for sustained indigenous approaches and collaboration, resource mobilization, and policy coherence to support grassroots efforts in combating climate change.

Call to Action

Participants (women farmers, NGOs/CSO) urged the Nigerian government, international organizations, financial institutions, and development partners to prioritize the implementation of the outlined recommendations. It is imperative to create an enabling environment that empowers rural women farmers to lead in climate action initiatives.

Signed:

International Centre for Environment and Development (ICEHD)