Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has called for the inclusion of environmental education in Nigeria’s primary and secondary schools curriculum. He said it will educate the younger generation on the impact of climate change and the need to keep a healthy as well as clean environment.
The minister made the request yesterday, in his office, in Abuja, when the National Organising Committee (NOC) of West African Summit on Climate Change, came on a courtesy visit to seek his permission to host the maiden edition of the International Conference on Climate Change in Abuja, which they said is scheduled to hold on October 22, 2025.
Lawal recapped that back in the days, when he was still in primary school, they were beneficiaries of a Nigerian system of education where environmental education was taught through a subject known as Rural Science.
He queried that today a lot of people are misinformed about the dangers and impact of climate Change on our globe adding that such persons are also involved in taking dangerous steps that endangers the environment.
He emphasised the need to enhance public awareness on climate change and to also enlighten the public on the need to maintain as well as keep a clean and healthy environment, adding that “environment is the gateway to health”.
While assuring the visitors that his ministry will provide whatever institutional framework and support that they might need to contribute their quarter to supporting Nigeria’s drive towards mitigating the impact of climate change, the minister also lamented that:
“Most of the emissions, most of the climate problems are coming from the industrial countries. And you find that
at any given time, we face the consequences. So it’s good to have an organization like your own that is looking at not only trying to address the issue of climate change, but also try to create an awareness around it”.
“Education is important. Publicity is also very important for climate change. And this year, I’ve been able to convince the government, the president particularly,
that we need more money for publicity on climate change. We also need to include environment education in our primary schools. We did that as Rural Science when we were in Primary school, but unfortunately now it has disappeared, i don’t know why but we really need to reintegrate it back to our basic educational curriculum”, the minister said.
