Enugu’s Climate Change Department: A Conversation With the Man Running It
Green Realty Africa recently visited the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, where they sat down with Dr. Arum Nnamdi, the Director of Climate Change, to gain a deeper understanding of the department’s activities and its current state.
How the Department Began
Dr. Nnamdi traces the origin of Enugu’s climate change work to 2012, when he moved from the Ministry of Science and Technology to the Ministry of Environment to work alongside a Senior Special Adviser on Environment under Governor Sullivan Chime. When she died that year, he continued alone.
“I kept on reading papers,” he said. “I built a cupboard myself and equipped it with any journal I could get anywhere. It was not from the ministry, It was my own effort.”
Indeed, he began drafting Enugu’s climate change policy independently. For years he worked without a formal department, moving from commissioner to commissioner making the case for why climate change deserved institutional recognition.
“In this ministry, climate change is synonymous with Dr. Arum Nnamdi, some people just call me Climate.”
Meanwhile, by 2015 the department had a formal home. When Governor Peter Mbah came into office in 2023, Dr. Nnamdi found an administration that already understood the language of climate action. Professor Chukumereje joined as Special Adviser on Climate Change and together they finalised the state’s Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, launched on 17 March 2025.
What Implementation Looks Like
Today, Cross-ministry work is already underway. The Ministry of Works is incorporating passive cooling into building designs, The Ministry of Transport has deployed CNG buses, The Ministry of Agriculture is promoting natural manure over chemical fertilisers. Report has it that Climate smart schools have launched with a dedicated governing policy. A UNICEF-supported initiative helped plant 24,000 trees in 25 hours last year.
“There are ministries doing climate-friendly work without even knowing it,” Dr. Nnamdi said. “If you trek to this office instead of driving, you are reducing your carbon footprint. You may not know it, but you are helping the environment.”
Enugu Just Made a Direct Pitch to Global Climate Investors. Here Is What It Is Offering.
Conclusion
The Enugu State Climate Change Department was not handed to Dr. Arum Nnamdi. He built it over more than a decade through personal effort and institutional persistence. Clearly the policy exists, the action plan is being implemented, Green Realty Africa will continue following this story.
Nigeria Told Global Investors It Is Ready for Green Money. Now It Has to Prove It.
PRAISE SAMSON