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COP17: Africa must connect science to action to tackle land degradation — Expert
In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES on the sidelines of COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Oluseyi Ifatimehin, a Professor of Geography (Environmental Resource Planning) at Kogi State University, Nigeria, and Science and Technology Correspondent to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), outlines the scientific and institutional gaps confronting Nigeria and other African countries and proposes stronger land and drought observatories, artificial intelligence, satellite technology, indigenous knowledge and improved science-policy mechanisms to tackle the challenges.
Excerpt:
PT: What are the biggest scientific gaps preventing Nigeria and other African countries from effectively addressing land degradation and drought?
Ifatimehin: From my perspective, Africa does not primarily suffer from a lack of scientific knowledge. The bigger problems are gaps in data continuity, local-scale evidence, technology deployment and the capacity to translate evidence into decisions. For Nigeria, one major gap is the lack of sufficiently dense, continuous and interoperable datasets on soil health, land degradation, groundwater, vegetation, drought indicators and land-use change. Satellite data are increasingly available, but they need to be combined with reliable ground observations to produce information that is useful at the farm, watershed and community scales.
A second gap is predictive capacity. We need to move from asking, “Where has degradation or drought occurred?” to ask, “Where is it likely to occur next, when will it happen, how severe will it be, and what should farmers and governments do now?”
A third gap is the shortage of sustained investment in African scientific institutions, laboratories, field-monitoring networks, data infrastructure and technical personnel. Nigeria’s priority should therefore be to establish stronger national and regional land and drought observatories, integrate satellite and ground data, strengthen universities and research institutions, and develop indicators that measure outcomes. These could include hectares of degraded land restored, changes in soil organic carbon, vegetation recovery, water availability and the number of farmers receiving actionable early warnings.
PT: Why is there a disconnect between research institutions and policymakers, and how can COP17 help close that gap?
Ifatimehin: The disconnect is partly because research and policymaking often operate on different timelines and communicate in different languages. Researchers may produce excellent scientific papers, but policymakers need concise answers to practical questions: What is the problem? What will it cost? What intervention works? Where should it be implemented? What result can we expect within three or five years? There is also insufficient institutional linkage between universities, government ministries, agencies and communities. Research funding is frequently project-based, while policy implementation requires long-term evidence and monitoring. COP17 can help by strengthening the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI) and encouraging countries to establish stronger national science-policy mechanisms. Universities should not be viewed simply as institutions that produce publications; they should become knowledge partners in national land-restoration programmes.
In line with this, proposals from two Nigerian universities — the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) and Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara — were presented at the COP17 side events.
FUL presented two proposals: ECO-HUB for Land Restoration Technical Education, focused on ecopreneurship, restored land, resilient food systems and shared prosperity; and Building a University-led Knowledge Curriculum and Research Platforms for Sustainable Rangeland Resource Governance, Livestock Reform and Peace-building for Nigeria’s Sub-humid and Humid Ecological Zones.
CUSTECH presented Measuring Nature, Building Skills and Restoring Land: Bio-resource Quantification, Ecosystem Evaluation and Land Degradation Neutrality Capacity in Kogi State, Nigeria.
For Nigeria, I would like to see a measurable mechanism whereby scientific baselines, measurable targets, independent monitoring and periodic evidence reviews accompany major land-restoration policies and programmes. The ultimate test is simple: Can scientific evidence change a government decision, improve an investment or change what happens on the farm? If the answer is yes, then we are closing the science-policy gap.
PT: What technologies could Nigeria realistically deploy to predict drought and prevent its worst impacts?
Ifatimehin: Nigeria does not need to wait for futuristic technology. Much of the technology required already exists; the challenge is integrating it and deploying it at scale.
First is satellite Earth observation. Satellite systems can monitor vegetation stress, soil moisture, rainfall anomalies, surface water and land-use change across Nigeria. This allows the government to identify emerging drought conditions over large areas much faster than conventional field surveys.
Second is artificial intelligence and machine learning. AI can combine satellite observations with rainfall, temperature, soil, crop, hydrological and historical drought data to identify patterns and generate localised drought-risk forecasts. Third is multi-hazard early-warning systems. Nigeria should connect meteorological and hydrological forecasts with agricultural advisory services so that a warning becomes an actionable message — for example, when to plant, which crop or variety is more appropriate, when to conserve water, or where livestock movement and water resources may become constrained.
Fourth is climate modelling and seasonal forecasting, which can support planning several months ahead. But technology alone is insufficient. Nigeria needs an end-to-end drought information system linking observation to forecasting, early warning, communication, early action and impact assessment. A measurable target could be to ensure that drought warnings reach vulnerable farming and pastoral communities before critical agricultural decisions are made, rather than after losses have already occurred.
PT: How can modern science and Indigenous knowledge be combined at the community level?
Ifatimehin: The answer is not to choose between modern science and Indigenous knowledge. We need to put them into dialogue. Farmers and pastoralists possess generations of knowledge about rainfall patterns, soil characteristics, pasture availability, water sources, drought indicators, livestock behaviour and locally adapted crops. Modern science brings remote sensing, climate modelling, soil analysis, forecasting and new technologies.
The most effective approach is therefore co-production of knowledge. Scientists should work with communities to test Indigenous observations against meteorological, ecological and satellite data and determine what is reliable, where it works and under what conditions. For example, if pastoral communities have traditional indicators for anticipating pasture or water scarcity, these can be assessed alongside satellite vegetation indices, rainfall forecasts and groundwater information. Where both sources provide consistent signals, the resulting early-warning system is likely to have greater local credibility and uptake.
We should also ensure that communities are not merely treated as recipients of scientific information but as knowledge partners.
ALSO READ: COP17 advances $1.3bn for land restoration, puts rangelands at centre
A measurable approach would be to establish community demonstration sites where restoration interventions are jointly designed, tested and monitored, with indicators such as vegetation recovery, soil health, water availability, livestock productivity and household livelihoods.
PT: What should governments, universities and development partners do differently to move African innovations from laboratories into practical solutions?
Ifatimehin: Africa needs to change the way it measures research success. A scientific publication is important, but it should not be the final destination.
Governments should create innovation-to-implementation pathways in which promising technologies are identified, field-tested, independently evaluated and then incorporated into national programmes and procurement systems.
Universities should strengthen technology-transfer offices, innovation hubs, demonstration farms and partnerships with farmers, pastoralists, government and industry. Research funding should include resources for field validation, scaling and adoption, not only laboratory research.
Development partners should move beyond financing short-term pilot projects. Where a technology has demonstrated effectiveness, financing should support the transition from pilot to demonstration, scale-up and institutional adoption.
The private sector is also critical because governments and donors alone cannot finance the scale required.
For Nigeria, I would propose a Land Restoration Innovation Pipeline with clear stages: Research → Field testing → Independent validation → Community adoption → Investment readiness → Scale-up → Impact measurement. Success should be measured not simply by the number of papers or projects produced, but by outcomes such as hectares restored, farmers and pastoralists reached, increases in soil and water productivity, drought losses avoided, jobs created, technologies commercialised and sustained improvements in livelihoods.
My central message from COP17 is that Africa does not need to reinvent science; it needs to connect the science we already have to decisions, finance and action.
Nigeria has universities, research institutions, satellite technologies, climate scientists, Indigenous knowledge and a growing innovation ecosystem. The opportunity now is to connect these assets through stronger science-policy institutions, digital knowledge platforms, predictable financing and measurable implementation. “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope” must therefore mean moving from knowledge to action, and from isolated projects to nationally and locally scalable solutions.
PT: Thank you so much for your time, Prof.
Ifatimehin: Thank you for the opportunity. Bye.
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The Auditor-General of the Federation flagged an alleged ₦345.5 million duplicate payment by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to a contractor handling the Abuja ICT Park project.
The finding was contained in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The special audit of the communication ministry covered the period from 1 January to 31 December 2021 and raised 14 issues concerning the planning, funding, procurement and implementation of the ICT Park project.
At the time the project was being implemented, Isa Ali Pantami, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, served as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy from 2019 to 2023. He was succeeded by Bosun Tijani, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
₦345.5 million duplicate payment
In Issue 13 of the findings, titled “Loss of Fund Due to Duplicated Payments to Contractor,” the Auditor-General said the ministry processed and approved two separate payments of ₦345,499,262.74 each as the third tranche of the 15 per cent mobilisation advance to the contractor.
The payment was intended to establish the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Park, Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary approved the first payment on 19 January 2022 through payment voucher No. FMCDE/CAP/606/2021 dated 24 January 2022.
The same accounting officer approved the second payment on 17 January 2023 through payment voucher No. FMCDE/CAP/149/2022 dated 8 February 2023.
The report said the two paid vouchers had identical contract references, amounts, and narrative descriptions, which it said indicated duplicate payment.
It added that no record showed the first payment had been reversed, adjusted, or treated as an accounting error.
“There was also no journal entry, refund, or internal memo linking the 2023 approval to any prior transactions. These omissions demonstrate a failure of supervisory review, record reconciliation, and payment verification within the Ministry,” the findings stated.
The Finance and Accounts Department also failed to justify the repeated authorisation or the lack of reconciliation between the Cash Book and Vote Book, according to the report.
The findings said the contractor, while claiming it received only one payment in 2023, submitted a bank statement that excluded the critical period between 2 January 2022 and 8 February 2023, preventing independent verification of its claim.
The audit said the payments posed risks of fund diversion and loss of public funds, attributing this to weaknesses in the ministry’s internal control system.
The audit said the ministry’s management did not respond to the alleged duplicate payment under the contract.
The Auditor-General recommended that ₦345.499 million be recovered and remitted to the Treasury, and that evidence of remittance be forwarded to the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.
₦447.67m from undisclosed funding sources
In Issue 11, the auditors questioned ₦447.67 million in payments to the ICT Park contractor, which they said could not be traced to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
The amount comprised ₦102,166,730 and ₦345,499,262.74 paid to the contractor, vide paid vouchers, Ref. No. FMCDE/CAP/061/2021 and FCMDE/606/2022 on 11 June 2021 and 19 February 2022, respectively.
According to the report, the payments appeared in the cash book. The contractor acknowledged them in the progress report and bank statement, but they did not appear in GIFMIS records, indicating they were processed off the system.
The audit said officials in the ministry’s Finance and Accounts Department could not explain the existence or authorisation of the alternative funding sources.
The report said the ministry also failed to provide documentation showing lawful appropriation, supplementary approval, or an external funding agreement for the payments.
The audit said the action posed a risk of misappropriation of funds and diversion of public property.
It said the ministry’s management did not respond to questions about the history of the payments in the GIFMIS records.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting ₦447.67 million to the Treasury, with sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
₦396.65 million project funds used for unrelated items
In Issue 9, the findings showed that N396.65 million from the ICT Park project fund was used to pay for consultancy services, office consumables, furniture, and stationery printing.
The audit said approvals had been processed for consultancy services relating to the ICT Park. Still, payments were made to unrelated suppliers for consumables and office furniture that were not contained in the project’s Bill of Quantities.
The report said this reduced funds meant for the mobilisation and execution of the ICT Park project.
It also said the ministry failed to provide evidence of approval for the virement from the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the National Assembly.
It said the actions posed a risk of misappropriation of funds and undue delay in completion of the project, noting that the ministry failed to respond to the question on the use of the project funds for unrelated items.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting ₦396.655 million to the Treasury, with sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
₦1.85bn paid without performance bond
In Issue 10, the auditors also found that N1.848 billion was paid to the contractor without securing a valid Performance Bond.
The report said the Bureau of Public Procurement had directed in December 2020 that a minimum 10 per cent Performance Bond be secured for major contracts before payment of mobilisation fees.
However, the ministry first released ₦1.348 billion in mobilisation payments between March 2021 and February 2023 without obtaining the required bond.
The report said that nearly three years after the contract award, the contractor submitted a commitment letter dated 29 December 2023, promising to furnish a Performance Bond upon receiving an additional N500 million. This amounts to ₦1.848 billion.
It said the actions exposed public funds to loss, noting that the ministry failed to respond to the question on the payment.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting ₦1.848 billion to the Treasury, and imposing sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
₦500 million paid without interim performance certificate
In Issue 12, the Auditor-General said the ministry released an additional ₦500 million to the contractor on 29 December 2023 without an Interim Performance Certificate or verified progress report.
The report said the payment was made after the contractor received the 15 per cent mobilisation fee.
Instead of an Interim Performance Certificate, the ministry relied on a commitment letter from the contractor promising to provide project vehicles and undertake overseas technical trips upon receipt of the additional funds.
The audit said the actions posed a risk of diverting public funds and losing government funds. It said that the ministry failed to respond to the question on the payment.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting N500 million to the Treasury and imposing sanctions under paragraph 3106 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
Premature foreign trips of ₦90 million
In Issue 8, the auditors questioned a ₦90 million provisional sum for foreign trips to inspect technical equipment for the ICT Park.
According to the findings, the sum of ₦90 million was included and described as “Allow a provisional sum of N90 million to cater for Client’s and Consultants’ representatives for foreign trips for the inspection of technical equipment to be deployed for the project,” in the priced Bill of Quantities (BOQ) for the contract for the ICT Park project, with a contract sum of ₦8.984 billion.
The report said the expenditure was being planned while the project was still at foundation level, before structural works, equipment procurement or installation had commenced.
It said no evidence was provided to justify the technical need, approved schedule, or cost-benefit assessment supporting the timing of the proposed trips.
The audit said the action demonstrated weak expenditure prioritisation and poor sequencing of project activities, noting that it posed a risk of undue delay in completion of the project and diversion of public funds.
Again, the ministry did not respond to questions about the premature foreign trip.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting the N90 million. It also recommended sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3115 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
Denial of access to project documents
The audit also raised concerns about the ministry’s failure to give auditors access to project documents.
In Issue 14, the report said auditors were denied access to documents including needs assessment reports, bank mandates for ICT project payments, payment vouchers, due diligence reports on the contractor and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report.
READ ALSO: How Nigeria’s Population Commission mismanaged N245 billion on undelivered products, other controversial contracts – Auditor-General
The report said several requests for project-related documents made between March and June 2025 were not answered by the ministry.
It said the denial of access to procurement documents contravened the Constitution and risked concealing financial information, diverting government revenue, and the loss of public funds.
The Auditor-General asked the Permanent Secretary to justify the denial of access and produce all documents relating to the ICT Park project.
The report stated that the ministry did not respond to the issues raised in the audit and that the findings remained valid until the recommendations were implemented.
Other issues
Other issues included a ₦94.05 million cost overrun attributed to the failure to conduct feasibility studies and an Environmental Impact Assessment before the ICT Park project began.
The Auditor-General also flagged ₦19.47 million in costs linked to delayed site handover, while questioning the absence of resident technical supervision despite a ₦160 million provision for it.
The report further cited inadequate budgetary provisions that contributed to project delays and the ministry’s failure to conduct or document a needs assessment before procurement.
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