Youths in Nigeria have been called upon to actively participate in efforts to mitigate climate change impact rather than engage in activities that contribute to it.
The call was made on Friday at a one-day climate change awareness programme organised for students of Word of Faith School, Ekenwan Road, Benin City, Edo State.
The programme was organised by Nigeria News Source, an online newspaper with priority focus on the environment, and supported by the Benin Youth Leaders Forum (BYLF) as part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Day of Climate Action.
Themed “Every Action Matters: Taking Individual Responsibility for Mitigating Climate Change Impact”, the programme was organised to engage young people early and encourage them to become climate change mitigation ambassadors.
The guest speaker, Dr Festus Amasikomwan Atewe, a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Disaster Risk Management, University of Benin (UNIBEN), educated the students on the causes and effects of climate change and what actions they can take to mitigate its impact.
Atewe said climate change is caused by natural and man-made factors, citing urbanisation, improper waste disposal, bush burning, deforestation, gas flaring, use of chemicals to control grass, and burning of fossil fuels as some of the human activities that contribute to climate change.
“Whatever you do, the environmental impact will definitely catch up with you, if not now, then in the future,” he said.
On mitigation measures, he encouraged the students to embrace tree planting, noting that trees were not enemies of humans but valuable assets that sequestrate carbon and thus help mitigate the effects of climate change.
He also advised youths to become environmental protectors rather than destroyers.
The lecturer advocated the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Other measures he recommended for mitigating climate change impact included tree planting around the home, adopting electric and hybrid vehicles instead of those that use petroleum and diesel, and walking, cycling, and car-pooling or the use of public transportation as alternatives to travelling in private cars.
Speaking earlier, the Founder and Publisher of Nigeria News Source, Chuks Oluigbo, described climate change as a global challenge that affects everyone, saying collective and individual efforts were needed to tackle its effects.
“Businesses, governments, individuals – everyone is involved. But for us, it begins with individuals. That is why we are moving beyond the generic and drilling down to the role every individual can play in protecting the environment and mitigating climate change impact. That is why our theme talks about the role of the individual,” Oluigbo said.
“And we chose to start with young people because it is about their future. It is important for them to understand that the action they take or fail to take today will determine the kind of world they, their children and their grandchildren will inherit.”
Oluigbo, a member of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), said the idea was to encourage the students and young people in general to be conscious of their environment and take action, both at school and at home, to reduce human activities that contribute to climate change.
“We want them to understand that we, as human beings, are created to be stewards or caretakers of creation. It is therefore our duty to do whatever it takes to protect creation and use everything that nature has bestowed on us in a sustainable manner,” he said.
He urged the students to develop habits that promote the green economy rather than engage in activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions.
In her remarks, the school administrator, Mrs Peace Akan Sebastian, commended the organisers for the awareness programme and assured that the school and its students would participate in activities that promote environmental sustainability and mitigate climate change.
In order to promote responsible waste disposal, Nigeria News Source donated two waste baskets to Word of Faith School.
Making the donation, Oluigbo said one of the baskets was for trashing biodegradable waste while the other was for non-biodegradable waste. He urged the students to always separate their waste and promote environmental responsibility both in school and at home.
