Enlisting Climate Education as Nigeria’s top Commitment at COP28: DEAN visits NCCC.

Nigeria is currently not listed among the countries that have shown or announced it commitment to climate education, either by law or by curriculum standards. While several efforts are ongoing including a clear ambition contained in the NDC, the Nigerian government is yet to see the stake in leading climate change crisis through education.

While the Ministry of Education through it agency; NERDC continues to struggle with the need to review the school curriculum to accommodate global and local challenges imposed by climate change, because they think environmental education and elementary climate assessment already exist in identified subjects, concern organizations have continued to advocate and provide technical support to the ministry and its agencies to change this trajectory.

Ahead of COP28, our organization again commenced several negotiations and data gathering to establish beyond doubt, the need to market Nigeria’s Climate Education agenda at COP28.

As a member of a Climate Education Technical Working Group co-chaired by both UNICEF and Federal Ministry of Education, our organization has hosted regional level Climate Education Conversations to mine expert’s views and allow stakeholders provide evidence based researches to support the Climate Education advocacy and ambition. We have had dialogue sessions with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and Teachers to determine whether climate topics should be embedded into existing subjects or stands alone as a separate subject. Research has proven that climate education can fast-track the global action on climate change.

As an organization, one key element of our climate education advocacy is action accountability. If Nigeria has not committed itself to climate education through government policies or funding, we will be unable to hold government accountable on climate education. Top on our Asks is to see the government of Nigeria either at home or through its global treaties make a commitment to climate education. This is why the visit to the National Council on Climate Change again reinforces our resolve to work with all government institutions such that may have the responsibility to lead actions towards this important and bold commitment especially in this year’s COP.

At this bilateral meeting, NCCC reiterated its position as official government Focalpoint for national climate action and pledges to work with our strategic counsels in advancing the advocacy for climate education in Nigeria.

The two organizations agreed to advance a robust work relationship to achieve this ambition.