Over 130,000 schoolchildren have been trained in environmental sustainability, circular economy, and gardening skills across 174 government schools in a nationwide initiative led by the Foundation for a Better Environment (FABE). The programme, known as EcoSchoolsNG, is a 10-month intensive training programme that aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to address environmental challenges. The training is championed by FABE Foundation in partnership with Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation, which has been the main sponsor since 2021.
FABE's Chief Executive Officer and founder, Mrs Temitope Okunnu, emphasized the importance of empowering the next generation with environmental skills to address the climate crisis. She noted that Nigeria is not lacking solutions to the climate crisis, but rather, the solutions are being implemented by the students in the EcoSchoolsNG programme. Okunnu stated that the programme has already made significant progress, with over 23,000 students in 112 schools across eight communities in Lagos and Ogun states being educated, empowered, and equipped since 2020.
The students are not only learning but also taking action, building recycling systems, growing food through eco-gardens, and turning waste into compost. They are also leading sustainability movements in their schools and communities, learning how to make biogas and digestate from fruit waste. FABE's partnership with ACT Foundation has been instrumental in making this vision possible, and the two organizations appreciate each other's support in promoting environmental sustainability.
The programme has been running since 2016, and the students are already making a tangible impact, becoming entrepreneurs and implementing sustainable solutions in their communities.
When Mrs Temitope Okunnu says that young people are leaders of today, not tomorrow, it means that the future of Nigeria's green economy workforce is already taking shape. The tangible results of the EcoSchoolsNG programme demonstrate that empowering the next generation with environmental skills is not only a necessity but also a viable solution to the climate crisis.
