Climate stakeholders want youth active participation in Nigeria

Stakeholders at the recently concluded conference on Artificial Intelligence and climate change finance capacity building have advocated for active youth involvement in policy formulation and implementation to drive solutions.

Participants emphasized the need to move youth beyond symbolic roles to designing, implementing, and monitoring climate policies 

ActionAid Nigeria, an organizer of the conference, was among the stakeholders calling for youths' more proactive participation, stressing the need for young people to get into finance, digital skills and decision-making to drive climate solutions.

The conference, organised by ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with German Cooperation (GIZ) and other stakeholders, had the theme “Advancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) Implementation: Youth-Led AI and Climate Finance Capacity Building for a Resilient Nigeria"

Speaking at the event, Blessing Ifemenam, a Programme Adviser, Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA II), ActionAid Nigeria, said young people must be recognised as leaders, advocates, innovators and decision-makers rather than passive participants in climate discussions.

Ifemenam stressed that the youths needed to be equipped with access to information, resources and platforms that enabled young Nigerians to influence climate policies and demand accountability from relevant institutions.

Ifemenam described climate change as an issue of justice, human rights and equality, noting that its effects disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly women, girls and youths with limited resources.

She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and the private sector to ensure that climate commitments translate into practical interventions at the community level.

A Deputy Director, Youth, Migration and Climate, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mr. Oyekan Adedoyin, described climate change as a major development challenge, citing flooding, drought, desertification, food insecurity and displacement among its consequences.

Adedoyin argued that young people should be recognised as partners and innovators in climate action with meaningful involvement in policy formulation, decision-making and the implementation of Nigeria's third Nationally Determined Contributions.

He highlighted the potential of AI in strengthening early warning systems, climate risk assessments, environmental monitoring, climate-smart agriculture and disaster preparedness.

According to him, expanding access to digital skills, technology, grants and climate finance would empower young people, particularly those in vulnerable communities, to develop and implement practical solutions to climate challenges.

“Let us move from climate awareness to climate action, from participation to leadership, and from innovative ideas to sustainable impact,” he said.

In an interview on the sidelines of the conference, Tolu Gbenro, President of the Nigerian Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), identified access to climate finance as a major priority for young people seeking to contribute meaningfully to climate action.

Gbenro said beyond securing funding for youth-led climate initiatives, youths must also be positioned at the forefront of policy formulation and decision-making processes.

She emphasised that youth involvement in climate governance should go beyond attendance at conferences and consultations to include active participation in shaping policies and implementation.

In his remarks, Mr Muhammed Shuaibu, Country Focal Point and Team Lead, LCOY Nigeria, said strengthening the capacity of young people was essential to addressing the growing effects of climate change on communities, livelihoods and the environment.

Shuaibu identified access to finance as a critical requirement for translating climate commitments into practical interventions, urging young Nigerians to apply global climate knowledge and expertise to confront climate change challenges within their local communities.

He commended ActionAid Nigeria for its support, noting that the organisation's collaboration with partners across the country's six geopolitical zones had strengthened the visibility and impact of youth-led climate initiatives.