By Abdullahi Lukman
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s climate sector have urged the federal government to integrate climate justice into the secondary school curriculum to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability.
The call was made during a national consultative workshop held in Abuja on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
The event, themed: “Integrating Climate Justice into the Secondary School Curriculum”, was organised by the Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet).
Dr. Samson Ogallah, head of the Climate Change Unit at the African Union, emphasized that education should address not only the science of climate change but also its social and ethical dimensions.
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“Climate justice acknowledges that the most affected are often those least responsible,” he said, urging educators to include case studies on drought, desertification, and flooding to make the issue more relatable for students.
Ogallah stressed the importance of embedding climate justice in subjects like geography and the arts, encouraging students to understand their local environments and creatively envision sustainable futures.
Mr. Atayi Babs, former National Network Coordinator of CSDevNet, said early exposure to climate justice concepts is essential for grooming future environmental leaders.
“We must carry the next generation along to ensure sustainable activism,” he noted.
Dr. Onuche Unekwu, Senior Lecturer at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State, described the initiative as timely, stating that educating students now will help them develop long-term solutions to climate-related issues.
The workshop reached a collective agreement on the urgent need to reform education policy to reflect the climate realities affecting Nigeria, particularly in vulnerable communities.
