German Embassy, SustyVibes Urge Youth Inclusivity In Biodiversity

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Abuja, and SustyVibes, a youth-centred sustainability non-profit organisation in Lagos, Nigeria, recently hosted the Bioverse NG National Conference in Abuja as part of the programmes to conclude the seven-month-long Bioverse NG project.

The Bioverse project, funded by the German Embassy in Nigeria, is an initiative aimed at connecting young Nigerians to nature via a double-pronged approach of climate action and biodiversity protection.

The conference, themed “The Indispensable Role of Youth in Nigeria’s Biodiversity”, allowed Nigerian youth, government, and global stakeholders to discuss Nigeria’s biodiversity challenges.

Delivering his opening speech, Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Johannes Lehne, stated that Nigeria’s diverse biodiversity has come under significant threat over the past few decades.

According to him, hundreds of animal species and thousands of plant species are currently at risk of extinction, with wild animals losing their habitat as a result of people cutting down almost all the trees in the forest.

Johannes also noted that educating Nigerian youth on the subject can positively impact the country’s biodiversity.

In her keynote address, the national coordinator of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, who echoed Johannes’ concerns, stated that young people must identify gaps and develop nature-based solutions with economic value.

On her part, the founder of SustyVibes, Jennifer Uchendu, stated that the event is quite historic as it provided an opportunity to showcase several months of work on the Bioverse NG project while offering young Nigerians the chance to learn and actively participate in biodiversity protection and climate advocacy.

Since August 2023, the Bioverse NG project has impacted over 200,000 youth in the country through its various activities, such as the 6-weeks virtual workshop, which provided 367 participants with knowledge on the intersection of Biodiversity and climate change, six regional dialogues across Nigeria’s geographical zones fostering youth inclusion and policy engagement. The project also included an internship programme where seven top workshop participants were provided internship opportunities at reputable conservations in the country.