The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) and the Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment have kicked off the process for the third edition of the Subnational Climate Governance Performance Rating and Ranking (SCGPRR 3.0), inaugurating a Quality Assurance and Expert Review Panel and convening Climate Desk officers and State Directors from across the 36 states in two separate engagements within the week.
The SCGPRR was conceived in 2024 to address critical gaps in climate change governance at the subnational level, including the absence of credible mechanisms to measure and compare climate governance performance across the 36 states, limited evidence base upon which development partners could align funding with state-level governance readiness, and the lack of a structured platform for peer learning between high-performing and low-performing states.
Now in its third edition, the ranking has established itself as the first credible, comparative, and evidence-based benchmarking system for all 36 states’ climate governance, introducing healthy competition among states and compelling state governments to treat climate governance as a leadership issue rather than a peripheral concern. In this way, performance on the SCGPRR has steadily become a recognised marker of good governance at the subnational level.
The third edition of the ranking was formally launched with the inauguration of the Quality Assurance and Expert Review Panel. At the onboarding session, the SCGPRR technical Project lead and Senior Policy Analyst at SPP, Timothy Ogenyi, presented the refined methodology and scoring logic to the panel, drawing on lessons learned and stakeholder feedback from the first two editions, with notable improvements centred on implementation.
Presenting the assessment framework, Nnaemeka Oruh, Senior Policy Analyst at SPP, outlined a scoring matrix structured around five pillars: climate change governance and institutional framework, policies and action plans, project implementation, climate finance, and online visibility. He further explained that the updated framework introduces an expanded scoring system that places greater emphasis on project implementation, reflecting actual delivery and measurable outcomes.
“So, it’s not just about you having all of these fanciful ideas and just having all of the policies, but never really implementing them. One of the things that we are going to be doing this period is to interrogate project implementation to be sure that it addresses a specific climate challenge that your state is noted for,” he said.
In his welcome address at the inauguration, the President of SPP and Technical Lead, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, represented by the Project Lead/Senior Policy Analyst at SPP, Mr. Gboyega Olorunfemi, appreciated the members of the panel for their involvement in the previous edition of the ranking, stating that their contribution greatly improved the integrity of the process, and expressed his confidence in their readiness and capacity to ensure the success of this year’s edition.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC) at the Federal Ministry of Environment, stated that the Subnational Climate Governance Ranking has evolved as a critical tool for tracking, evaluating, and sensitizing climate response governance across Nigerian states and local governments.
“This independent expert review team is saddled with the responsibility of showcasing the credibility, integrity, and legitimacy of the ranking. Your selection was carefully made not for your technical expertise alone, but for your independence, impartiality, and your demonstrated commitment to evidence-based assessments, and your independent review would strengthen the technical foundation of the ranking and build stakeholders’ confidence in the process,” she said.
She thanked the members of the panel for volunteering their expertise, a decision she said reflects their commitment to climate action and good governance in Nigeria. The panel members engaged actively with the methodology, raising several observations and recommendations.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, Chairman of the Expert Review Panel, expressed appreciation to his fellow panel members for volunteering their time and expertise to the process. He noted that the collective depth of experience and commitment represented in the room made the panel well-suited for the task ahead, and conveyed his confidence that they would deliver faithfully on their mandate as the third edition moves into full gear.
The inaugurated Quality Assurance and Expert Review Panel comprises Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, Chair of the Board of WASCAL; Dr. Priscilla Achakpa, Global President of the Women Environment Programme (WEP); Mrs. Gbemisola Akosa, Executive Director of the Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21st); Mrs. Tengi George-Ikoli, Country Manager of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI); Prof. Olukayode Oladipo, Adjunct Professor at the University of Lagos; Prof. Daniel Gwary of the University of Maiduguri; Dr. Eugene Itua, CEO of Natural EcoCapital; Mr. Amara Nwankpa, Acting Director General of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation; and Mr. Olumide Idowu, Executive Director of the International Climate Change Development Initiative (ICCDI).
In a related development, SPP and DCC convened a meeting with Climate Desk Officers and State Directors from across the 36 states to orient the participants on the data collection process.
In his keynote address, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke emphasised the importance of quality survey responses from subnational officers, noting that the initiative has evolved from a ranking exercise into a delivery programme centred on accountability, capacity building, and building political will.
“The Subnational Climate Governance Performance Rating and Ranking has become one of the most, if not the most consequential and impactful climate programme at the subnational level today, impacting millions of lives. None of this is possible without your support and your close collaboration. We facilitate this, but you, the Climate Desk Officers and Directors at the various states, are the engine behind this ranking and rating. And it is the quality of the information that you provide in the questionnaire, the surveys, that actually shape the ranking. I pray that you continue to work with us to make the third ranking even better than the second and first ranking,” he said.
The Director of the Department of Climate Change, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, reinforced that the ranking is not a competition but a strategic tool designed to encourage states to strengthen climate governance and improve accountability at the subnational level. She urged states to treat the exercise as an opportunity for genuine institutional improvement rather than a mere reporting obligation.
Key discussions centred on the need for teamwork in preparing submissions, proper documentation and evidence-based reporting, and inter-ministerial collaboration to gather comprehensive data. Participants raised critical questions about their roles, including how Desk Officers and State Directors should coordinate internally to ensure comprehensive and verifiable responses.
The meeting further addressed questions on submission timelines, with the questionnaire scheduled to go live in late May 2026, and data collection expected to be completed by the end of June, ahead of the ranking report’s targeted launch in September.
As the third edition moves into full gear, SPP and DCC expressed confidence that the strengthened framework, expanded scoring system, and broad stakeholder engagement will produce a ranking that more accurately reflects the state of climate governance across Nigeria.
By Ugochukwu Uzuegbu, Communication Specialist, SPP
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