ASSESSMENT OF ROLE OF CLIMATE FINANCE MECHANISMS IN ACHIEVING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Purpose: This study examines the role of climate finance mechanisms in fostering environmental sustainability in North Central Nigeria, with a focus on how international, national, and community-level financing tools contribute to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development goals in the region. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative analysis of policy documents, climate finance reports, and international frameworks with empirical data from field surveys and interviews conducted across selected states in North Central Nigeria. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed to evaluate the accessibility, effectiveness, and challenges of climate finance mechanisms in the study area. Findings: The study reveals that climate finance has provided critical support for renewable energy projects, afforestation programs, sustainable agriculture, and resilience-building initiatives in flood-prone and drought-affected communities. However, findings also indicate that bureaucratic bottlenecks, weak institutional capacity, poor awareness, and inequitable distribution of resources hinder optimal utilization of climate finance opportunities. Research limitations/Implications: The study is limited to selected states in North Central Nigeria, which may not fully capture the diversity of climate finance implementation across the country. Further research with broader geographical coverage and longitudinal coverage will enhance generalizability. Practical Implications: The study highlights the need for strengthened institutional frameworks, capacity building for local governments and civil society, and enhanced transparency in fund disbursement to maximize the impact of climate finance in promoting environmental sustainability. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a contextualized analysis of climate finance in North Central Nigeria, linking global financing mechanisms to localized environmental sustainability practices, and proposing pragmatic pathways for strengthening climate finance governance in developing regions.