The National Capacity Building Workshop on Project Oversight for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Operational Focal Point and Implementing Partners in Nigeria, held in January 2026, set out to answer a critical question: How can Nigeria ensure that GEF-supported environmental projects deliver real and lasting impact?

Facilitated by GIFSEP, the workshop brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners, and civil society actors in Abuja to define a more coordinated and locally grounded approach to project monitoring, accountability, and environmental governance.

For more than three decades, Nigeria has partnered with the Global Environment Facility, a global funding mechanism supporting countries to address climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution. Through successive funding cycles, Nigeria has accessed more than $105 million in environmental funding, supporting projects in renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture, and waste management (GEF Nigeria Country Portfolio). Despite these investments, workshop participants identified a persistent challenge. Environmental projects in Nigeria are often implemented across multiple institutions and international agencies, with limited coordination and inconsistent communication. As a result, systems for monitoring and oversight remain fragmented.

In particular, the role of the GEF Operational Focal Point (OFP), the office responsible for coordinating Nigeria’s GEF portfolio, is not always fully integrated throughout project implementation and reporting. This gap has significant implications. Without strong and consistent oversight, lessons from projects can be lost, progress may be underreported, and opportunities to scale successful interventions are often missed.

Participants therefore agreed on the need to move beyond a project-by-project approach and adopt a portfolio-wide system of oversight that strengthens coordination across all GEF-supported initiatives. To support this shift, the workshop focused on developing practical, locally relevant recommendations that can serve as the foundation for a more effective national oversight framework. Key proposals included allocating a defined percentage of project budgets to support national oversight functions, strengthening collaboration between ministries and implementing agencies, and developing centralized digital tools to track projects across the country. The discussions also highlighted the importance of transparency and inclusive participation. Communities, civil society organisations, and technical departments all have a role to play in monitoring project outcomes and ensuring that interventions reflect local needs and realities.

As Nigeria prepares for the next operational phase of the Global Environment Facility, these conversations come at a critical moment. Strengthening oversight systems and improving coordination will not only enhance project performance but also position Nigeria to better access and manage future environmental financing. And if effectively implemented, the outcomes of this workshop could mark an important shift. One where environmental investments are not only well funded, but also well coordinated, accountable, and capable of delivering lasting impact for both people and ecosystems.