Group inaugurates project empowering youths to address climate change in rural communities
By Alex Enebeli
The Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs) has inaugurated project empowering youth organisations to build stronger communities by addressing climate issues in communities.
The project titled “Empowering Youth Civil Society to Build Stronger Communities in Nigeria” also seek youth leadership in climate action policies and implementation to safeguard rural communities.
Speaking during the project launch in Enugu on Friday, Joshua Alade, Founder of NGYouthSDGs, emphasised that youths had to play critical role in shaping Nigeria’s future.
He said the project was to raise awareness among young people, their peers and the broader community about climate issues and the importance of taking action and support youth innovations that enhance climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Alade added that the idea would help to create a Local Climate Action Network of youth organisations and actors to mobilise local support and implementation of community-based climate solutions.
He said the organisation would work with at least 15 youth organisations from Delta, Enugu, Kaduna, Ondo and Nasarawa states to actualise the initiative.
According to him, the project represents a significant step towards inclusive climate action and sustainable development to tackle looming threat of climate change challenges in Nigeria and Africa that require urgent attention.
“If young people are aware of their rights, and they can communicate and mobilise other young people as servant leaders in their communities, they can build alliances and sit with decision-makers to create programs and policies that will help youth to lead and thrive.
“This project perfectly aligns with our mission to resource youth leaders and youth-led organisations to influence policies that enable young Nigerians to lead and thrive,” Alade said.
He explained that with support from the Germany Missions in Nigeria, the initiative aimed to equip youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) in partnership with young people in their local communities to initiate, drive and transform policies.
This, he said, would lead to the implementation of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
“Through carefully designed capacity development sessions, these youth organisations will learn how to support NAP and NDCs.
“The trained CSOs will work together to mobilise young people and youth stakeholders in their states to facilitate the meaningful engagement of youth in the implementation of the NAP and NDCs.
“This include a National Sustainable Futures Dialogue with at least two hundred young people, therefore, raising awareness about the NAPs and the NDCs across the country,” Alade explained.
He added that the youth CSOs would be equipped with tools to work with their communities to create a Local Adaptation Plan of Action (LAPA) which would be shared with their state government ensuring young people were in the driver’s seat on policies that affect them.
According to him, the project will also provide technical support to not just the state government but other government agencies and ministries like the Federal Ministry of Environment on effective dialogue and meaningful youth engagement in the implementation of the NAP and NDCs.
The Founder stressed that Germany Government recognised that the youths were key stakeholders in the national adaptation process to climate change.
“They are providing essential funding for this project, showing their commitment to walk the talk when it comes to climate action and resourcing young Nigerians to be at the forefront of action.
This support will help NGYouthSDGs strengthen its youth leadership initiative and equip youth with the tools they need to take social action in communities across Nigeria,” he added.
He, however, urged youth organisations leading climate action in Delta, Enugu, Ondo, Kaduna and Nasarawa States, to use https://climatevoices.nigerianyouthsdgs.org/ to apply and participate in the project.
“They should also reach out to Opeyemi Ogundeji Programmes Manager, NGYouthSDGs Email: opeyemi@nigerianyouthsdgs.org About NGYouthSDGs,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Published by: Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
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