The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Institute for Greening Education in Nigeria (IGEN) have called for the integration of climate change education, environmental sustainability and green skills development into Nigeria’s education system.
The institutions made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the Technical Working Group Meeting on the Greening Schools and Climate Change Education Intervention (GSCCEI), where the State of Greening Education in Nigeria Report and Policy Brief were launched.
They stressed that Nigeria’s response to climate change and environmental degradation must extend beyond government policies and environmental campaigns to include school curricula, infrastructure, teacher training and practical skills development.
Speaking at the meeting, UBEC Deputy Director, Academic Services, Dr Lydia Gbagi, who represented the Director of the Department, Mrs Blessing Obinatu, said the commission was committed to transforming Nigerian schools into environmentally responsible, climate-resilient and sustainable learning environments.
Gbagi said the GSCCEI was designed to equip learners with the knowledge, values, competencies and practical skills required to address environmental challenges.
She disclosed that 33 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had benefited from capacity development and step-down training through their State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
According to her, the training covered climate change education, environmental sustainability in teaching and learning, establishment of Climate Change and Green Champions Clubs, practical greening activities, and improved monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
She added that the programme had facilitated the development of state-level master trainers who would extend the training to local government areas and schools.
Gbagi said UBEC had developed implementation guidelines and training materials to institutionalise the intervention, including the GSCCEI Implementation Guidelines, Handbook for Climate Change and Green Champions Clubs, and guidelines for Green School and Climate Change Interventions.
She also disclosed that the National Greening Schools Programme (NGSP) had been developed as a broader framework for advancing greening education in Nigeria, guided by seven strategic pillars.
The initiative, she said, aligned with the Federal Government’s education reform agenda, the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, Climate Change Act 2021, Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions and UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership.
Gbagi described the newly launched report and policy brief as important tools for assessing the state of greening education, identifying implementation gaps and providing evidence-based recommendations for strengthening climate change education.
She said the policy brief would help translate research findings into practical recommendations for policy formulation, institutional coordination, resource mobilisation and programme implementation.
In his remarks, IGEN Executive Secretary Robinson said educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, universities and technical and vocational institutions, must become centres of environmental responsibility, climate awareness, innovation and sustainable development.
He noted that greening education should go beyond teaching climate change in classrooms to integrating sustainability into education policies, curricula, school infrastructure, institutional management, teacher development and practical skills acquisition.
Robinson said IGEN was established to promote environmental sustainability, climate change education and green skills across Nigeria’s education system.
He explained that the report documented existing progress, identified challenges and proposed measures to strengthen policy, institutional coordination, implementation and accountability.
However, he cautioned that the impact of the publications would depend on the willingness of governments and stakeholders to translate their recommendations into concrete action.
“The real value of this report lies not merely in its publication, but in the actions that follow,” he said.
Robinson called for sustained collaboration among federal and state governments, education agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to advance greening education.
He also advocated increased investment in teacher development and education administrators’ capacity, alongside the promotion of climate-smart schools and green skills acquisition among young Nigerians.
According to him, equipping learners with relevant green skills would prepare them for emerging employment and enterprise opportunities in the green economy while enabling them to contribute to national environmental sustainability.
He urged stakeholders to adopt the report as a shared national resource and practical guide for strengthening greening education.
Robinson commended the African Centre for Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, the Green Schools International Foundation, researchers and other partners for their contributions to the publications, while acknowledging the support of IGEN’s Governing Council.
The report and policy brief are expected to support improved environmental sustainability in Nigeria’s education sector through stronger policies, institutional collaboration, teacher capacity development and practical climate action in schools.
Both institutions maintained that integrating sustainability and green skills into education was essential to preparing Nigerian children and young people for the challenges of climate change and opportunities in the emerging green economy.
