When Emmanuel Aremu, a 30-year-old climate enthusiast, met a teenage girl dumping waste into the drainage system around Dennis Memorial Grammar School Roundabout, Onitsha, he could have just walked by. But something in him refused to ignore it. Curiosity and a sense of responsibility made him pause and ask, “Do you know this is wrong? Who asked you to do this?” The girl, sent by her guardian, confessed that she had no idea it was harmful. Emmanuel patiently explained the consequences, but her response shocked him the most: “I didn’t know all this. No one has ever explained it to me. I will never do it again.”
That single encounter in 2022 marked the beginning of Emmanuel’s climate activism journey. “It became clear that the real problem wasn’t just pollution. It was a lack of awareness and education,” he said.
From Curiosity to Activism
Today, Emmanuel is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, and is passionate about climate education and environmental sustainability. A Green Fellow and a member of the Climate Students Movement in Nigeria, Emmanuel has volunteered with various climate and environmental organizations, including EcoSciGen, EcoVanguard, Eco Smart Club, and EcoEnlighten. As a climate change facilitator at The Waste Museum, Ibadan, he has educated over 400 teenagers on climate change and environmental responsibility.
Emmanuel also trains youths in organic gardening and climate solutions through the museum’s Waste for Skills Boot Camp. He also uses social media to spread awareness and mobilize people for climate actions, and physically, he also takes his awareness campaign to secondary schools in Ibadan.
A Generation at Risk: Nigeria’s Climate Crisis
Nigeria has a predominantly young population, over 70% of its citizens under 30. Despite this, climate awareness and literacy remain alarmingly low. While young people are increasingly concerned about climate change, many are unaware of its direct impact on their health and well-being.
Also, eco-anxiety among young people is on the rise. Nigeria’s ecological vulnerability is a significant factor. The country faces high deforestation rates, rising sea levels, drought, and erratic weather patterns. Young people feel the most impact as they struggle with the harsh realities of environmental degradation.
Inspiring Change in Enugu
However, many young Nigerians are stepping up to the challenge, actively participating in climate education and activism. Emmanuel Aremu is not a lone voice.
In Enugu, Ogechi Ifezie, a 24-yr old law graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is also part of the growing movement of young climate activists advocating for reforestation and water conservation.
According to the UN, Nigeria has the highest deforestation rate globally, losing about 3.7% of its forest cover annually due to urbanization, indiscriminate logging, and large-scale agriculture. Experts predict Nigeria may lose all its forest cover by 2052 without urgent action.
Motivated by this crisis, Ogechi joined The Greener Picture in 2021, where she has participated in several projects combating deforestation. One of her proudest achievements was a tree-planting initiative during her third year in university.
“I remember being so excited about planting trees, nurturing and growing them, and it gave me a sense of fulfilment. On my last day at the university, I visited the trees we had planted years prior, which had grown beautifully. Contributing to the environment made me feel proud,” she said.
Ogechi’s efforts reflect the growing awareness among young people that reforestation is crucial to building climate resilience.
Mobilizing Change in Akungba Akoko
Similarly, Olusola Rolake, a student of Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, has spearheaded eradicating plastic waste within the community. “My teammates and I partnered with recycling companies in Lagos and engaged in collecting, storing, and sorting plastics for recycling. This drastically reduced plastic burning and sparked environmental consciousness among the over 20,000 residents,” she said.
Olusola also uses her social media to create awareness and mobilize people for climate action. “The only way I mobilize people to take climate action is through awareness creation and making them realize the situation’s urgency. If we think about it, we didn’t inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrowed it from our offspring,” she said.
Fighting Against All Odds: Challenges of Climate Activism
Despite their passion and dedication, these climate warriors face numerous challenges, chief among them funding. In 2019/2020, Nigeria received just USD 1.9 billion in climate finance. This fell far short of the USD 17.7 billion needed annually to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets. The gap highlights a significant shortfall in climate funding. Underfunding limits grassroots activities and hinders efforts to engage young people in climate actions. Oxfam highlights that the burden of this underfunding is felt most acutely by local governments and climate-vulnerable communities, which often lack the resources to build climate resilience.
Ogechi shared how a lack of funding hampered the launch of a plastic waste disposal initiative on her campus. “Despite reaching out to numerous institutions for support, we were unable to secure the funds, and the project fell through,” she lamented. Although the initiative remains on the organization’s calendar, Ogechi remains skeptical about securing the funds to see it through.
Similarly, Emmanuel has faced difficulties securing financing for many climate-related projects. As a result, he has had to abandon many initiatives despite his passion. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that non-financial support for NGOs, such as capacity-building workshops and volunteering opportunities, has been encouraging.
“No support from the government yet, but I have received ample support from NGOs like The Waste Museum, EcoSciGen, and SDSN,” he said.
Keeping the Dream Alive: The Passion That Drives Them
Despite these hurdles, these young climate activists remain resilient and undeterred. Instead of giving up, they call for more young Nigerians to join the movement and take meaningful action.
“Charity, they say, begins at home. Before we change the world, we have to transform ourselves. Look inward and be the change you want to see. When you align your actions with sustainability, you can inspire others to join the fight against climate change,” says Ogechi.