International Journal of Law, Policy and Governance
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026)

Climate Change And The Uneven Geography of Vulnerability In Nigeria: A Regional And Sectoral Assessment

Chioma Obiajuru (University Of Benin,)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Sep 2026

Abstract

Climate change is widely treated in Nigerian scholarship as a single, undifferentiated national crisis, yet its lived effects diverge sharply by region and sector. This article draws on Climate Change Vulnerability Theory to examine how exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity combine to produce markedly different climate risk profiles in northern Nigeria (drought, desertification, farmer-herder conflict) and the Niger Delta in the south (sea-level rise, flooding, oil-pollution-compounded degradation). Using doctrinal and literature-based analysis, the article maps these regional impacts onto four cross-cutting socio-economic consequences — agriculture and food security, poverty, public health, and energy supply — to show that Nigeria’s climate burden is not evenly distributed but concentrated among specific, identifiable populations. It argues that Nigeria’s largely uniform national adaptation architecture is poorly matched to this differentiated vulnerability profile, and proposes region-specific adaptation measures as a corrective. The article contributes a vulnerability-mapped account of climate impact differentials in Nigeria that can inform more targeted adaptation planning.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijlpg

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Arts Economics, Econometrics & Finance Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Library & Information Science Social Sciences

Description

International Journal of Law, Policy and Governance is a peer-reviewed journal published by Adpebi. The journal publishes original papers at the forefront of Law, international law, corporate law, public policy and governance issues. The journal is free access and download. Including to area of ...