Climate Change: NGO task education, environment ministries on lasting solutions 

Development of Educational Action Network (DEAN) Initiative, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called on the ministries of Education and Environment to collaborate on the prioritization of climate education in the country. 

The Executive Director Mr. Semiye Michael, made the call in Abuja, while briefing the media during the presentation of climate education learning curriculum for climate change educators, in line with the just concluded COP 27.

He noted that countries are now making climate education laws to solve climate change problems, adding that this is the best short and long-term measure to fight climate change.

He therefore reminded the government to keep its promises and be bold in leading actions through innovative climate education designs, noting that climate education has become a right for children not to be denied.

According to him,  it is pertinent for Students to understand that climate change is not just a threat, it is a reality resulting in social, economic, and environmental instability in a country that is already vulnerable. 

“Nigeria is one of the selected countries we have put the use of the developed Climate Education Pack to the test for two years of school-based learning. 

“As an organisation, we want to emphasise that there is no more excellent tool to change the world than education. Our contextualised resources for the classroom include all these issues and possible solutions so that future generations in Nigeria can be climate champions,” he said.

“Through the Climate Education Activation, a project of DEAN Initiative, we are localizing our sustainable solutions through working with children to address climate change and its effect but also to help them create their own stories around how they are affected and as well help them to identify the roles they can play in addressing the climate change issue while motivating them to take climate actions and make personal commitments. 

“Our Climate Education Activation will deliver one module of our contextualised climate curricula and play our Transforming Education Survey to at least 20 of your pupils. The delivery of the class will be by our trained Climate Education Volunteer,” he added.

The Executive Director further stated the need for the Ministries of Education and Environment to draft a review process that will include climate education in relevant subjects across primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.

He also stressed the need for duly regularised Environmental/Green clubs to function across schools, urging students to participate in extracurricular activities that equip them with knowledge of nature, biodiversity, climate change, and environmental stewardship, including environment/climate literature as part of approved reading literature for pupils/students across schools in Nigeria.