• Anthony Nyong’s leadership through the African Development Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) reshaped Africa’s approach to adaptation by embedding climate resilience directly into development finance.
• Despite institutional and financial obstacles, his structural reforms turned climate considerations into a lasting component of AfDB’s project design and decision-making.
• Nyong’s development-first climate vision shows that meaningful resilience requires institutional change, local ownership, and patient, long-term commitment.

Why is Anthony Nyong’s Heat Level Hot?

Answer: Anthony Nyong is hot for embedding climate resilience into the African Development Bank, turning adaptation into a central development priority across Africa.

Nigerian climate scientist and policy expert Anthony Nyong has dedicated his professional life to bridging the gap between science and policy throughout Africa. He was one of the driving forces behind the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP 2016–2020), a strategic framework designed to align African development financing with the Paris Agreement and the continent’s own growth priorities, while serving as the Director of Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank (AfDB).

To include climate action in the Bank’s investments and assist African nations in reinforcing their climate institutions, the CCAP was implemented between 2016 and 2020. It was based on three objectives: increasing national capacity to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), mobilising international climate finance, and mainstreaming low-carbon and climate-resilient methods within AfDB initiatives.

The percentage of climate-related investments in the AfDB portfolio rose from 9% in 2016 to 36% in 2019, nearing the 40% climate-finance goal established for 2020 (AfDB, 2020). Over 500 projects were funded by the Bank, which allocated approximately US $12.4 billion to climate-related initiatives, with a roughly equal distribution of funds between adaptation and mitigation (E3G, 2021). In addition to promoting the use of financial tools such as Green Bonds and Green Climate Fund concessional finance, the CCAP assisted in institutionalising climate screening in project development.

This approach made significant contributions by framing adaptation as a survival concern rather than just a technical policy area. To facilitate NDC alignment and climate budgeting, the Africa NDC Hub was established in 2017 and offered coordination and technical assistance to over 20 states. Climate risk considerations were incorporated into over 90% of Country Strategy Papers by the end of the plan, indicating a gradual internal transformation rather than a single policy innovation.

What is changing Anthony Nyong’s heat level?

Answer: Anthony Nyong’s heat is shifting as limited funding and uneven national commitment test the balance between growth and climate resilience.

Although the CCAP had ambitious targets, its execution revealed how fragile large-scale climate planning can be when dependent on complex governance structures and external funding. Less than 10% of global climate finance is still allocated to Africa (OECD, 2022), a statistic that restricts the scope and sustainability of adaptation efforts.

The structure of the CCAP was affected by several institutional and political veto players. Infrastructure and private-sector lending units within the AfDB occasionally saw climate integration as an administrative issue rather than a strategic necessity. Political will and institutional capacity differed greatly among member states; some, like Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire, incorporated NDCs into national plans early on, while others struggled to coordinate across ministries. There is tension between African development aspirations and international funding preferences, as global funders often prioritise emissions-reduction (mitigation) programmes over adaptation.

Nyong’s focus on collaboration and scientific credibility helped maintain some continuity despite these obstacles. Many of the CCAP principles were carried over into the Climate and Green Growth Strategy (2021–2030), though it remains unclear how much emphasis is placed on adaptation compared to mitigation. Nyong’s impact now depends more on whether the institutional culture of the AfDB can sustain the balance between economic growth and climate resilience than on his personal role.

What is driving Anthony Nyong?

Answer: Anthony Nyong is driven by a belief that climate action must serve development, linking resilience to livelihoods and long-term stability.

Nyong’s leadership is based on the conviction that development outcomes and resilience should be prioritised over carbon targets in climate policy. His perspective stems from years of experience in regions where adaptation efforts have been constrained by environmental stress, poor infrastructure, and poverty. For him, enhancing livelihoods, strengthening institutions, and promoting long-term economic stability are all essential components of effective climate action.

Nyong views adaptation and mitigation as integral to Africa’s broader development goals, positioning him as a development-driven climate leader. With a background spanning research, finance, and governance, he favours systemic transformation over isolated solutions. He strives to ensure that climate policies expand energy access, create employment, and build local capacity, rather than merely reducing emissions. His practical vision continues to guide Africa’s approach to climate resilience through inclusive and sustainable growth.

What does this mean for you? 

Answer: Anthony Nyong proves that true climate progress comes from integrating resilience into every policy and institution, not one-off projects.

Anthony Nyong’s Climate Change Action Plan for the AfDB provides valuable insight into how continental organisations can embed climate action within broader development agendas. It demonstrated that investment cultures can be gradually reshaped through consistent policy frameworks rather than isolated projects. However, it also revealed that the constraints of limited capacity, inadequate funding, and conflicting stakeholder interests cannot be fully resolved by even the most effective management.

More resilient agricultural systems, improved urban water management, and expanding renewable energy networks are just a few of the tangible benefits African communities have seen as a result of this strategy. It underscores to policymakers the importance of integrating climate objectives not only within environmental ministries but also across planning and finance departments. It also reminds international partners that genuine adaptation requires long-term collaboration rather than short-term “funding cycles.”

Ultimately, Nyong’s leadership of the CCAP illustrates both progress and pragmatism. It shows that Africa’s climate strategy is founded on steady institutional reform that balances environmental responsibility with development needs. His influence lies less in the outcomes of a single initiative and more in how he redefined what a development bank—and a development-driven leader—can achieve in the face of global climate challenges.

IExRAIA Summer Research Program:

This article is an excerpt from a report on Anthony Nyong produced as part of an RAIA research program on climate leaders. For a full picture of Ruto’s climate leadership, including the sources, read the full report. This project was fully financed by IE University’s IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.

Authors: Luiza da Costa Carvalho Melo & Sara Tobar Herrera

Editor: Joshua Dario Hasenstab

Project Leads: Roxane de Bergevin & Stefani Obradovic