The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has endorsed the Climate Beyond Borders Caravan, a pan-African climate advocacy initiative aimed at mobilising young people to champion grassroots climate solutions and sustainable development across 17 African countries.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative in Abuja, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, represented through a goodwill message, described Nigerian youths as “resourceful but underutilised,” noting that they possess the creativity, resilience and innovation needed to confront the growing climate crisis.
The initiative, organised by the People, Planet and Peace Foundation, is themed: “From Awareness to Action: Mobilizing Resourceful Nigerian Youth for Grassroots Climate Solutions.”
According to the minister, the Climate Beyond Borders Caravan will travel across West, East, Central and Southern Africa to promote climate advocacy, eco-tourism and community-driven environmental action.
He commended the organisers for selecting Nigeria as the starting point of the campaign, stressing that climate change has become a pressing reality affecting millions of Nigerians daily.
“The North is experiencing desertification and drought, while the South is grappling with flooding and coastal erosion. Food prices continue to rise as changing weather patterns disrupt agriculture. The effects of climate change are now present in our homes, markets and communities,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, the minister said climate change also presents economic opportunities for young people through green entrepreneurship, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management and climate-smart innovation.
He highlighted ongoing interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including the establishment of the Youth Migration and Climate Action Resilience Department within the ministry.
The minister also referenced the ministry’s Circular Economy Youth Empowerment Initiative, popularly known as Waste to Wealth, which is expected to create employment opportunities for 37,000 youths through waste conversion and eco-friendly production.
He emphasised the need for collective action, noting that practical measures such as tree planting, drainage clearing, plastic recycling and community participation remain essential in mitigating climate change.
The minister expressed optimism that the caravan’s programmes, including capacity-building sessions in Abuja, engagements in Ogun State and a climate walk in Lagos themed “Keep It Clean, Keep It Green: Our Environment, Our Responsibility,” would inspire grassroots mobilisation and long-term environmental consciousness.
“As this caravan journeys across Africa, it sends a powerful message that young Africans are not waiting for others to solve our problems. We are taking ownership of our future,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Joseph Omoniyi of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology described the caravan as a strategic continental initiative designed to identify local technologies capable of addressing climate-related challenges across African countries.
According to him, the project seeks to develop a database of indigenous technologies and lifestyle innovations that can be adapted by youths to support environmental sustainability and national climate commitments.
“The attempt is to find technologies that are peculiar to those countries and create a library of local solutions that can be harnessed by the youth,” he said.
Dr. Omoniyi expressed hope that the exercise would culminate in a broader African climate summit aimed at harmonising findings from the caravan to strengthen Africa’s participation in global climate negotiations, particularly at United Nations climate conferences.
A Kenyan climate advocate and founder of Roots of Hope, Mariam Abdreshi, said the initiative was timely given the increasing impact of climate change on African communities, especially women.
She noted that women remain central to community development and are often disproportionately affected by environmental crises.
“As youth, we know we are responsible for building a better generation, but elders also have knowledge to guide us. This caravan is important because it connects communities and helps us grow a greener Africa,” she said.
The co-organiser and caravan leader, Olatunji Olayiton-Francisco, explained that the programme’s capacity-building sessions were designed to equip young people with practical knowledge and advocacy skills needed to address climate challenges within their communities.
He disclosed that after Nigeria, the caravan would continue to countries including Benin and Togo, alongside other African nations where climate champions have already been mobilised.
“Our expectation is that after empowering the youth, they will return to their communities and champion climate advocacy and environmental responsibility wherever they are,” he said.
Private sector stakeholders also pledged stronger support for climate action during the event.
Founder of Artuno and CarbonScope360, Ayo Ogunlowo, stressed the need for sustained advocacy, incentives and supportive government policies to drive youth participation in climate action.
He argued that climate interventions must extend beyond awareness campaigns to deliver tangible economic and social benefits for communities.
“We need advocacy, commercialization and governance working together. Climate action should not just be about ticking boxes; people must benefit from it,” Ogunlowo stated.
He also advocated locally developed innovations tailored to African realities instead of overreliance on imported solutions.
Ogunlowo revealed that Artuno recently launched a N100 million climate innovation fund to support environmentally sustainable businesses.
According to him, the first phase of the intervention has already supported three businesses involved in reusable sanitary pad production, alternative energy solutions and paper recycling initiatives aimed at reducing open burning.
He added that the organisation is sponsoring more than 200 schoolchildren while supporting women-focused environmental empowerment programmes across communities.
