UK backs Nigeria’s Gashaka Gumti Carbon Project, boosting forest regeneration and community livelihoods through nature-based climate funding

UK backs Nigeria’s Gashaka Gumti Carbon Project in a major stride towards nature-based climate action.

Also read: UK funds project to reduce carbon emission, others in Nigeria

The project, centred on Nigeria’s largest national park, has been selected as one of the inaugural beneficiaries of the UK-backed Carbon Accelerator Programme for the Environment (CAPE).

Chosen from over 100 applicants across 28 African nations, the Gashaka Gumti Forest Carbon Project is one of only four initiatives to receive feasibility and development support.

The programme aims to catalyse investment into projects that mitigate emissions, enhance carbon sequestration, and promote biodiversity while empowering local communities.

Located in Taraba and Adamawa States, Gashaka Gumti National Park is one of West Africa’s most vital ecological zones.

The project will focus on regenerating degraded forests, protecting endangered species, and enabling sustainable community livelihoods.

Alongside Nigeria, selected projects include Kenya’s Papariko Mangroves, Tanzania’s Rubeho Mountains, and Zambia’s Barotse Rangelands—each representing different ecological systems on the continent.

According to CAPE’s organisers, projects were selected based on their development readiness, community benefits, scalability, and environmental integrity.

The UK-funded initiative is led by FSD Africa in partnership with the African Natural Capital Alliance and **Finance Earth.

Reshma Shah, Carbon Markets Lead at FSD Africa, stated: “CAPE shows that Africa’s natural capital is not just a solution to the climate crisis but a catalyst for fair and inclusive growth.”

The programme addresses a long-standing barrier in Africa’s environmental sector—access to early-stage capital.

By offering recoverable grants and transaction advisory services, CAPE helps projects move from planning to investment readiness.

Nature-based solutions like forest regeneration and mangrove restoration are essential to global climate goals.

Yet, most such projects remain underfunded. With 62% of Africa’s GDP reliant on natural capital, CAPE aims to both protect ecosystems and drive economic resilience.

The Gashaka Gumti initiative is expected to sequester millions of tonnes of carbon, restore habitats, and stimulate green job creation.

Analysts suggest its success could serve as a model for scaling climate finance across the continent, helping close the global biodiversity funding gap—currently estimated at up to $824 billion annually.