Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD ) is a global climate change mitigation initiative. The United Nations REDD Programme (UN-REDD) is building capacity in developing countries interested in REDD including Nigeria. REDD will reduce access to forests and compromise the livelihoods of local people. UN-REDD commits to strengthen local democracy as a safeguard to prevent elite capture of benefits from REDD for local people. This study examined whether local representation in the UN-REDD international policy board and during the consultative process accompanying adoption of REDD in Nigeria strengthened local democracy. The study is based on field research in Nigeria in 2012 and 2013. It found that local government authority, the substantive political representatives of local people were not in the UN-REDD policy board, and were absent from the consultative process that led to adoption of REDD in Nigeria.