Glow Initiative For Economic Develoment and Access Bank have lamented the impacts of climate change in the socio economic development of the world and Nigeria in particular.
As a result, the two organisations have launched Climate Leadership Fellowship aimed at resolving issues associated with climate change, noting that energy climate change impact was ravaging the world.
According to them, in Nigeria, its impacts have led to severe cases of drought, desertification, flooding, and disruption in rainfall patterns.
The convener of the programme, Miss Glory Oguegbu, said the impacts adversely affect man’s health, wellbeing and environment.
“One fast way to combat these is through education to make sure that people understand what is happening and take measured steps to combat it,” she said.
Oguegbu added that Glow Initiative for Economic Empowerment had jumped right in on the chase with solutions with support from Access Bank PLC have launched the third cohort of “The Climate Leadership Fellowship (Special edition for Energy Leaders) designed to provide expert training on four main areas of the climate change and energy for young Nigerians who were passionate and willing to make a difference in the sustainability, clean cooking, clean energy, electric vehicles, solar power and waste to energy sectors.”
After training, she added that all fellows would adopt a school where they would teach climate change and renewable energy helping to groom young ones, who will promote a climate resilient nation.
“All fellows will receive a climate education toolkit for teaching in schools and a certificate of climate leadership.
“The fellowship currently ongoing received 400 applications from all states in Nigeria from which 30 fellows were specially and carefully selected,” she added.
She said that the need to invest into a new generation of young leaders to lead change for climate action in Nigeria necessitated the fellowship program, noting that “The big goal of this program is really climate education. In 5 years, we aim to train 2000 educators who will in turn train and mentor 200, 000 students’.
According to her, Climate change impacts is ravaging the entire world, Nigeria inclusive.
“The severe cases of drought and desertification ravaging many parts of northern Nigeria and the extreme flooding in the southern part are all indicators that the impacts of climate change are closer than we think. There is need to raise a generation of climate smart leaders who will lead advocacy for national climate change mitigation and resilience,” she said.
Miss Oguegbu further said that beyond providing expert training on climate change advocacy and leadership for 30 young Nigerians, the program will also provide internship and work experience for the select fellows through the “Adopt a School project “where they will teach climate education across secondary schools in all six geo political zones of Nigeria.
“Collectively, we have trained 80 fellows who have in turn trained over 15, 000 secondary school students and community members. The climate advocates were able to reach over 10,000 students across Nigeria with climate education.”
Also speaking at the event, the head of sustainability at Access Bank Nigeria, Ms. Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, described climate change as the biggest threat facing humanity today.
According to her, “we must treat climate change as an immediate threat, just as we must treat the connected crises of nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, as immediate threats.”
Ms. Omobolanle further said that Access Bank Nigeria Plc was a lover of the environment and understands the importance of having a safe and green environment.
According to her, this has informed Access Bank’s involvement in several programs targeted at promoting environmental awareness.
“It is a sheer commitment to identify with efforts aimed at combating climate change and ensuring that our climate is safe for all that has informed our decision to throw our weight behind the climate Leadership fellowship program,” she said.
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