Amb Nafo at the High-Level Solutions Dialogue on Climate Change Adaptation Accelerating adaptation implementation and investment ahead of COP30

When Climate Reality Meets African Innovation: A Story of Leadership at the Crossroads

When Ambassador Seyni Nafo stepped into the UN Headquarters dialogue room on September 22nd, he carried more than just talking points—he brought evidence of a quiet revolution transforming how Africa approaches climate adaptation.

The Crisis is Real, But So Are the Solutions

The stark mathematics of climate adaptation tell a familiar story: African nations need 8 to 14 times more funding than they currently receive, while climate impacts accelerate across the continent. What's less familiar is how Amb Nafo—wearing dual hats as General Secretary of AAA and Coordinator of the Africa Adaptation Initiative—is systematically dismantling the structural barriers that have long plagued climate finance.

"Many African countries have climate policies, but often without investment-ready financial structuring," Amb Nafo told the high-level gathering. His response? The APIA Program has already moved beyond theory, supporting 20 African Direct Access Entities in developing what the climate finance world desperately needs: bankable proposals that work.

The Numbers Don't Lie

While global finance often views adaptation as "high-risk, low-return," AAI's Financial Solutions for Adaptation Program is rewriting that script. The results are tangible. Two Green Climate Fund proposals worth $50 million have been approved, with five more in development. The vision extends beyond traditional funding models. Through AAI's Financial Solutions for Adaptation Program, five agricultural SMEs have already received $3.5 million in blended financing—early proof that private sector engagement in adaptation isn't just possible, it's profitable.

Changing the Conversation

Perhaps most compelling is the human element: the biannual forums where National Designated Authorities share not just technical expertise, but stories of what works. These aren't bureaucratic meetings—they're laboratories where countries learn from each other's successes and failures. Thus challenging the fundamental power dynamics of climate finance through this South-South Exchange Forum

."International partners must support, not substitute, national ownership," Amb Nafo emphasized—a diplomatic but pointed critique of traditional aid models.

The Bigger Picture

As AAI maintains seats on the boards of the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Loss & Damage Fund, Amb Nafo's work represents a broader shift: Africa moving from climate finance recipient to climate finance architect.

The world races toward COP30 in Belém, this dialogue represents more than policy discussions—it's evidence that when structural barriers meet innovative thinking and determined leadership, transformation becomes possible.

The climate crisis demands nothing less than reimagining how we finance and implement adaptation. Africa, through voices like Ambassador Nafo's, isn't just participating in that conversation—it's leading it..

AAI communication Team