By Abbas Nazil
As the world commemorates World Environment Day 2025, Nigerian youth are intensifying demands for a formal and sustained role in the country’s climate policy-making process.
At the forefront of this campaign is the Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs), in collaboration with other youth-led organizations, calling on the government to embed youth inclusion in the design, implementation, and monitoring of Nigeria’s third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) under the Paris Agreement.
Nigeria missed the February 11, 2025 deadline for submitting its updated NDC. While preparations for the updated climate plan continue, youth leaders see the delay as a crucial opportunity to correct past exclusions and make young people central to the NDC 3.0 process.
Joshua Alade, Executive Director of NGYouthSDGs, emphasized the urgency, stating that if Nigeria truly wants to create an ambitious and locally relevant climate policy, it must center the voices of its youth, who constitute over 60% of the population.
Over the past year, NGYouthSDGs has trained 167 youth-led organizations across five states on Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan and existing NDCs.
These groups have since taken bold steps by organizing local dialogues, raising awareness in at-risk communities, and spearheading grassroots initiatives addressing climate change impacts.
Fatima Lawal, a youth leader from Kaduna, pointed out that young people have already proven their capacity through actions such as tree planting, developing local adaptation plans, and delivering climate education in underserved areas.
She asserted that meaningful inclusion in national processes is needed to scale these efforts.
David Uzondu of Plogging Nigeria stressed that inclusion must move beyond tokenism, insisting that young people must be structurally integrated into the policy-making space, not just consulted for appearance’s sake.
The youth coalition is also advocating for the creation of a dedicated fund to support youth-led climate innovations, particularly in vulnerable communities facing the brunt of environmental disruptions.
They believe this would not only build local resilience but also foster indigenous expertise, reduce overreliance on foreign consultants, and enhance public confidence in Nigeria’s climate action.
Chinenye Maduike, founder of the Kids & Teens Resource Centre, argued that institutionalizing youth participation will ensure climate solutions reflect the lived realities of those most affected. For her, the goal is co-creation, not mere consultation.
As Nigeria approaches the finalization of its NDC 3.0, the youth coalition is urging the government and development partners to adopt a transparent and inclusive model of governance.
According to Alade, the credibility of Nigeria’s climate commitment depends on whether it truly represents the passion and potential of its youthful population.