Dean Initiative, a Climate Change based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has stressed the need for the inclusion of climate education into Nigeria’s school curriculum, saying this is a gap that needs to be filled if climate change crises would successfully be addressed in the country.
Its Executive Director Semiye Micheal, stated this yesterday in Abuja during a press briefing to mark the 2021 National Action Day for Climate Education.
He said climate literacy can give people the tools to engage meaningfully with government and corporations to help solve climate change.
Micheal noted that Nigeria currently face severe impacts of climate change, stressing that the country needs it’s young people to be knowledgeable about and empowered to tackle climate issues.
According to him, reports by the United Nations shows Nigeria as one of the countries where climate change also contributes to armed conflicts and insecurity; listing Nigeria as one of the worlds top terror zones, just as young people account for more than 50% of the county’s population threatened by climate change realities.
“In Nigeria, we are today facing the full realities of the climate change crises from severe drought and desertification flooding and food shortages.
“We applaud the federal government through the ministry of environment for implementing various initiatives in tackling the climate change crises, as demonstrated in the ambitious plan in the NDC, we ask that more urgent and sustainable actions be implemented to solidify ongoing climate interventions by the government and other stakeholders.
“We call on the Ministries of Education and Environment to work together to begin the formal process of including climate education in the national school curriculum and environmental/green clubs should be allowed to function across schools, which will be duly regularised,” he said.
“There is need for creation and availability of climate-based extracurricular activities to equip students with knowledge on nature, biodiversity, climate change and environmental stewardship,” he said.
“The inclusion of environmental and climate-based literature within the approved reading for students across schools in Nigeria,” he added.
“Taking the lead in advocacy and action, the World’s Larger Lesson (UK) together with Dean Initiative in Nigeria is working with other partners and currently running a contextualized climate change makers class as an extracurricular exercise in over 35 schools across the six geopolitical zones of the country to teach children relatable stories on climate change and it’s impacts.
“Students must be made 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,” said Micheal.
Meanwhile, the Editor, Environ News Mr. Micheal Eta Bisong, expressed concerns that most citizens don’t know how climate change affect them, he harped the importance of integrating it into schools’curriculum adding that if not quickly tackled will consume the nation.
Earlier, a representative from Susty Vibes Gloria, Iorliam, noted that there is currently an increase in green gas emisions into the air, stressing that it is time to take action to enable a sustainable environment because Africa are most vulnerable due to lack of resources.
