Over 40 civil society organisations, led by Greenpeace Africa, have launched the Climate Justice Movement (CJM) in Nigeria to confront corporate environmental destruction and amplify Africa’s voice in global climate justice debates.
The movement, unveiled in Abuja on Monday, seeks to unite fragmented climate advocacy efforts to address the disproportionate impact of climate change on the continent.
Speaking at the launch, Murtala Touray, Programme Director at Greenpeace Africa, described the initiative as responding to Nigeria‘s shrinking civil society space.
“We are witnessing destruction that fuels corporate profits while communities bear the brunt,” Touray said
“We demand reparations, land restoration, and a climate finance fund to support affected communities.”
The CJM aims to hold corporations and policymakers accountable for environmental damage, particularly from extractive industries like oil and gas.
At the event, Sherelee Odayar, Oil and Gas Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, singled out companies like Shell, accusing them of “extracting billions in profits while leaving behind devastated ecosystems and broken communities.”
Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, pointed to intensifying floods in the Niger Delta and desertification in the north as evidence of the urgent need for systemic solutions.
“This movement is about a just transition that prioritises African realities and rejects false solutions like carbon trading,” she said.
Speaking also, Elizabeth Atieno, Food Security Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, noted that floods between July and October 2024 affected 34 states, impacting over 4 million people, killing more than 300, and injuring 2,854.
„The 2022 floods were even deadlier, claiming over 600 lives, displacing 1.4 million, and destroying 676,000 hectares of farmland, exacerbating food insecurity.
Ogunlade Olamide Martins, Associate Director for Climate Change at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), called the CJM a “turning point” for grassroots environmental movements.
“Our struggles have been fragmented despite facing common threats from extractive industries,” he said.
On his part, Ibrahim Muhammad Shamsuddin, Programme Manager at Yanayl Haki Afriqya, underscored the role of Nigeria’s youth in demanding accountability.
“We refuse to inherit a country where profits precede people and planet.
“This movement is our pledge to transform environmental advocacy into a unified force for a safe and healthy environment for all, he said.