Osun seeks partnership with NOA for grassroots climate advocacy

By Abdullahi Lukman
Osun State Government has called for collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to strengthen climate change advocacy at the grassroots level.
The aim is to raise awareness about the realities of climate change and encourage personal responsibility among communities.
The call was made by Funmiso Babarinde, Special Assistant to the Osun Governor on Renewable Energy, during a climate change summit held last Tuesday.
The event was organized by Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, in partnership with NET HOPE and Ushahidi, Kenya, targeting community-based organizations, farmers, affiliated ministries, and local leaders in Osun State.
The summit focused on fostering dialogue about local climate challenges, developing community-driven data collection methods, integrating community voices into climate policies, and building capacity for grassroots climate action plans.
Babarinde highlighted ongoing government initiatives to combat climate change impacts and emphasized the importance of delivering advocacy messages in local languages.
He urged training for media professionals on climate change reporting and proposed involving Nollywood and the music industry to amplify public engagement.
He appealed to the Director-General of NOA to collaborate with federal and state information ministries to create a structured grassroots advocacy framework.
Stressing collective responsibility, Babarinde warned that without widespread involvement, future generations might lose their chance to call Earth home due to worsening climate effects.