Climate change is an urgent global issue that affects every aspect of our lives. Despite its widespread impact, many Nigerian youths lack a clear understanding of the causes, consequences, and solutions to this phenomenon.
Olumide Idowu, Co-founder of the International Climate Change Development Initiative, ICCDI while speaking in Ilorin the Kwara State capital, North Central Nigeria while speaking with DA News at the weekend said a majority of young people in Nigeria are unaware of the severity of climate change and its potential to cause irreversible damage to the environment and human societies.
Idowu was in Ilorin to train about 85 youths in Kwara state with the support of the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund, an initiative of the US government on solving problems and misconceptions about climate challenges in Nigeria.
The training tagged ‘Climate Solution Leadership Training’ according to him was meant to equip and give more understanding to young people on what climate change was all about.
Olumide said there were a lot of components that need to be put in place which many young people are aware of.
He revealed that the essence of the training was to identify the problems affecting the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals in Kwara and its possible solutions.
”We are trying to make sure that we identify problems state-wise and locally and also to get solutions to young people’s views.
”This is because we don’t want it to look like we are coming to the state and bringing the solutions from where we are coming from,” he said.
Idowu added that the training is also geared towards streamlining government actions into the solutions that young people were already providing.
“We are trying to build leadership around climate action and making people understand that there is still life and solution to the problems we are facing in Nigeria or in a particular state,” he said.
Idowu commended the large turnout of participants in the state with Kwara the third state hosting the training after Ekiti and Osun States, saying the training is targetting no fewer than 600 people.
Need to introduce climate change education for young people and businesses
Earlier in the day while featuring on a special program on the only private radio station in Ilorin running on solar power SOBI FM, said the lack of awareness and knowledge poses a significant challenge to efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change and promoting sustainable development in Nigeria.
Olumide who is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), advocated for the introduction of climate change literacy in schools curriculum across the country for the youths to be aware of changes in their environment.
“Introducing climate change literacy in Nigeria’s schools will not only create a fundamental role in helping youths understand climate change and its science, it will help in triggering innovations that will proffer solutions to climate risks.
“We need to introduce climate change education especially for the young people and businesses to understand the sustainability and solutions concept as well as ensuring we key into the renewable energy like Sobi FM,” he said.
In his submission, Kwara state coordinator for the training Babatunde Quodri said that the leadership training is a welcome one meant to shape the mindset of Kwara youth toward taking accelerated action on climate justice in the state.
