The Office of the Senior Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady of Enugu State, and the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, with support from the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) Enugu Field Office, has concluded a one week training for climate champions in Enugu State.
The immediate task of the trained Climate Champions is to implement the pilot phase of an intensive climate education campaign in selected secondary schools in the state. The sessions were hosted simultaneously at the Enugu State Secretariat and the ICT Centre of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The programme, which combined four days of virtual sessions with a final day of in-person engagement, successfully equipped 40 Climate Champions between the ages of 18 and 25 including 20 teachers, with the knowledge and tools to deliver impactful climate education using the newly developed Climate Education Manual that was co-created through a collaborative process involving the Office of the Senior Adviser to the Enugu State Governor, alongside teachers and students across the State, ensuring that the training and knowledge reflects both global realities and local context.
The Climate Champions were trained to deliver lessons that are not only informative but also emotionally resonant, connecting rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns to everyday experiences within their respective communities.
In his keynote address, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Enugu State, Prof. Sam Ugwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Ozoemena Ezeh, emphasised the importance of early-stage climate education, which he said would help the younger generation mitigate climate change impacts and learn how to live a sustainable lifestyle.
“This is timely, as catching the young ones early will help them to understand the impacts of climate change and how to practice sustainability from a very young age,” he stated.
In his opening remark, the Senior Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, congratulated the climate champions on being selected to carry out this important task and for completing the week-long training.
He reminded them of the task ahead and the huge impact they are expected to make in the schools they will visit.
“Your job now is to take this deep knowledge that you have acquired into the classroom to instigate, to instill, and arouse curiosity among the students and the teachers that you will meet. To communicate with passion, clarity, and intent, so that they will not just get information and knowledge, but that they will become change agents themselves, people who carry the passion and the desire to communicate, but also to act on climate change.”
Prof. Okereke also appreciated the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for his disposition to support pro-climate change policies and the implementation of green transition projects, especially the massive investment in Green Smart Schools around Enugu State.
In his speech, the Youth Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Enugu State, Basil Ojengwa, stated that training the youths to be advocates for climate action resonates with the green agenda of the current administration.
“Young people are at the heart of climate action. By equipping educators and advocates with the right tools, we are planting seeds of awareness that will grow into informed decisions, responsible behaviour, and sustainable communities,” he said.
Speaking on the importance of climate change teaching strategies, Mr. Arum Nnamdi, Director of the Department of Climate Change at Enugu State Ministry of Environment, encouraged participants to put into practice the knowledge they have acquired during the training, to ensure that the students become agents of change in their different homes and communities.
“You need to bring this knowledge down to the level of the students through storytelling, using natural and physical things the students can easily see and relate with,” he said.
The Ministry of Education represented by the Assistant Director, Strategic Communication, Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation (CELI), Enugu State, Mr. Arum Sopuluchukwu Emmanuel, conveyed the unalloyed support of the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, reiterating the Commissioner’s commitment to advancing regenerative education in Enugu State through the Experiential Learning Pedagogy and the Smart Green Schools initiative as a transformative model aligned with the State’s climate agenda.
Participants described the training as transformative. Beyond knowledge acquisition, the majority of the participants displayed a renewed sense of purpose, an understanding that they are not just educators but catalysts for change.
Equipped with the Climate Education Manual, they are now set to move into secondary schools across Enugu State, where they will engage students through structured lessons, discussions, and climate-focused activities.
The initiative comes at a critical time when climate literacy remains low in many communities, despite the increasing visibility of climate-related challenges. By focusing on secondary schools, the programme aims to reach young minds at a formative stage, equipping them with the awareness and advocacy needed to navigate and respond to environmental challenges.
A hands-on workshop was also conducted by Dorsky Art World, a leading force in waste-to-art within Enugu State. The session provided participants with practical guidance on transforming plastic waste into compelling works of art, highlighting innovative approaches to sustainability through creative expression.
As these Climate Champions move into classrooms, the impact of the training is expected to transcend far beyond school walls, sparking conversations in homes, influencing community practices, and contributing to a broader culture of environmental responsibility within the state.
By Anieze Elochukwu and Ayodeji Omilabu (Office of the SA to the Governor on Climate Policy & SD)