Lagos ranked W’Africa’s most climate-resilient city in 2026
By Taiwo Scholarstica
Lagos State has been ranked the most climate-resilient city in West Africa in the 2026 West Africa Climate Governance Index (WACGI).
The state emerged as the highest-performing sub-national government among 209 states and regions across the 15 member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile.
According to the statement, the assessment was conducted by the France-based West Africa Climate Governance Index, which evaluated climate governance across the region.
Lagos recorded a score of 86.3 out of 100, earning a Grade “A” and ranking ahead of Kano, Abuja, Greater Accra, Praia, Dakar, Porto Novo, Abidjan Autonomous District, São Filipe and Bombali.
The report assessed sub-national governments based on climate-risk exposure, governance visibility, climate finance, transparency, public participation and implementation capacity.
“The ranking, according to WACGI, aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The research body added that its evaluation also fell within the scope and parameters of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 aspiration for a prosperous and climate-resilient Africa.
With Lagos State emerging as the first in the 2026 Best Performing Sub-national Government in West Africa, the climate research body conferred its prestigious honour of ‘Grand Laureate of Climate Governance’ on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for administering the most resilient climate governance structure,” the statement read.
In a letter dated July 8, 2026, addressed to the Lagos State Government, the Director of Fondation Lucien Paye, Prof. Julie Peghini, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for implementing policies aimed at reducing climate risks and improving climate adaptation.
She wrote, “In recognition of this achievement, we are pleased to confer upon Your Excellency and the Government of Lagos State the distinguished honour of the ‘Grand Laureate of Climate Governance’ for the 2026 best-performing sub-national government in West Africa.”
“The formal report and the raw results datasets are publicly available on the official French Government data repository,” she added.
The WACGI, a France-based climate policy and research initiative established by the Africa Foundation (Lucien Paye) at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, said the assessment was designed to encourage evidence-based climate governance among ECOWAS member states.
According to Peghini, the organisation believes transparent and evidence-driven assessments can strengthen institutions by recognising outstanding performers while providing recommendations for governments seeking to improve their climate governance systems.
The report also acknowledged Nigeria’s broader climate governance framework, describing it as one of the most comprehensive in the region. It cited the Climate Change Act 2021, the National Council on Climate Change, the Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0, the Energy Transition Plan, the country’s long-term net-zero strategy and expanding climate finance initiatives as key policy measures.
Despite these achievements, the report noted that Nigeria continues to face major climate-related challenges, including coastal flooding and erosion in the South, desertification and extreme heat in the North, river flooding across the Middle Belt, agricultural vulnerability, gas flaring and the risks associated with energy transition in the oil sector.