FG urged to include climate education into school curriculum

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

Dean Initiative, a Climate Change based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has urged the federal government to include climate education into Nigeria’s school curriculum.

According to the NGO, the absence of climate education 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 on Wednesday in Abuja during a press briefing to mark the 2021 National Action Day for Climate Education, Blueprints reported.

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.