As part of activities commemorating World Environment Day, the Federal Government in collaboration with Oxfam, has inaugurated over 1,000 Climate Justice Youth Ambassadors.
The project said to be an initiative of Oxfam in Nigeria, under its African Activist for Climate Justice, AACI, Project, aims to deepen its engagement towards ending poverty and amplifying the voices and challenges of vulnerable Nigerian communities, including women, youths, and people with disabilities in the face of climate reality and injustice.
The Climate Justice Youth Ambassadors Network brings together youth from diverse backgrounds to cultivate a generation consciousness of environmental issues, ensuring that future leaders are well-equipped to address climate challenges.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who emphasized this year’s theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,during the event on Wednesday, in Abuja, said, Nigeria, like many other countries around the world, is facing significant environmental challenges.

The minister warned that, “Our land resources are under immense pressure from a variety of factors ranging from deforestation, unsustainable land management practices and the adverse impacts of climate change. Therefore, we must collectively take decisive actions capable of reversing these trends and build a more sustainable future before it becomes too late.
According to him, “Despite these challenges, I am pleased to report that Nigeria is making significant progress in addressing land degradation and desertification through initiatives such as the Great Green Wall Project, GGW, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, and Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape, ACResal.
“Measures have been implemented through this programmes and projects to restore degraded landscapes, promote sustainable land management practices and enhance the resilience of communities to drought and desertification.

“We have strengthened partnerships with local communities, civil society organizations, and international partners to mobilize resources and expertise towards reviving our lands, ecosystem and the environment in general.”
Project Coordinator at Oxfam in Nigeria, Kenneth Akpan, commended the youth’s enthusiasm and commitment, adding that the platform not only supports ongoing efforts but also encourages young people to stay engaged in climate action.
“By linking grassroots initiatives with national policies, we are nurturing a generation that is deeply aware of and ready to tackle environmental issues,” he said.
Akpan highlighted Oxfam’s particular focus on gender justice, which aligns closely with climate justice.
“Gender justice is about amplifying the needs of women and recognizing that climate impacts us differently.
“For example, in cases of water scarcity, women have more extensive needs than men, affecting them more significantly. Similarly, people with disabilities face unique challenges, such as escaping floods, which we must consider in our inclusive approach to climate action,” he explained.
On his part, the Acting Coordinator of the Climate Justice Youth Ambassadors Network, Aliyu Sadiq, highlighted the network’s potential to influence environmental policies through collective action.
He said, “climate change has been a major issue affecting various parts in different ways. In the north, you have farmers being affected due to rainfall fluctuations and uncertainties. This is affecting their productivity, and this is their livelihood. In the east, in the west, in the south, you can see a lot of floods happening.
“Just last year more than 36 states were flooded. So these are becoming more extreme by the year. And the idea behind the Network is instead of working in silos, young people can now come together as a formidable force to advocate for sustainable practices and influence policy changes,” Sadiq stated.

The event also featured the launch of the first annual Environment Day Schools Quiz Competition, also known as the Minister’s Cup which saw students from Junior Secondary School, Jabi win with 44 points to beat her counterpart in Wuse, Maitama and Garki taking the grand prize of N500,000.

The initiative, supported by Oxfam, aims to foster environmental awareness among school children by promoting environment and climate change education. The competition encourages schools to form environment clubs, creating a climate-conscious generation prepared to address future environmental challenges.