Lagos State has, for the second consecutive year, clinched the top spot in the 2025 Sub-National Climate Governance Rating and Ranking, reaffirming its position as Nigeria’s leader in climate action and environmental sustainability.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during the public presentation of the second edition of the report held in Abuja.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who presided over the ceremony, disclosed that Lagos State earned 315 points out of a possible 360. Katsina and Kaduna States followed closely, securing 310 and 305 points respectively, to emerge first and second runners-up.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on the Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, described the recognition as a validation of Lagos’s continued commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and proactive climate governance.
He commended the organisers and the Federal Ministry of Environment for their efforts in promoting climate accountability across states, noting that Lagos’s demographic size and coastal geography make it one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in Africa.
Rotimi-Akodu stressed that the state’s actions are driven not by a desire for accolades but by the urgent need to safeguard its future.
“For us in Lagos, this is about survival. However, we deeply appreciate this acknowledgment of our efforts,” he stated.
The Sub-National Climate Governance Rating and Ranking is an annual assessment designed to promote state-level climate action in Nigeria. It evaluates performance across five thematic areas, including institutional frameworks, policy and legal structures, climate action plans, and budgetary allocations dedicated to climate projects.
