Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria visits Leeds Beckett to discuss climate change, peace and security in Africa

The Hon. Yussuf Kelani was the keynote speaker for the event, which was organised by the university's African Research Initiative, part of the Centre for Applied Social Research.

It explored the rapidly evolving relationship between climate change, peace and security in Nigeria, and provided a platform for conversation about national policy directions and opportunities for collaborative research that can help support meaningful impact in Nigeria and across Africa.

Key themes of the event included:

• Emerging security risks linked to environmental degradation
• Climate change and gender
• Policy responses and national climate action priorities
• Pathways for strengthening resilience and peace-building
• Opportunities for UK-Nigeria academic collaboration and impact

It was hosted by Dr Olayinka Ajala, Associate Professor for Politics and International Relations at Leeds Beckett University, who said, "Climate change is reshaping security dynamics across Nigeria and the wider African region, and our research at Leeds Beckett seeks to understand these emerging risks and identify pathways to resilience. Hosting Hon. Yussuf Kelani offers an invaluable opportunity to connect evidence based scholarship with national policy thinking, strengthening the collaborative work needed to address one of the most urgent challenges of our time."

The other speaker was Dr Pedi Obani, Associate Professor of Law from the University of Bradford.

Find out more about studying Politics and International Relations at Leeds Beckett.