By Mercy Omoike
The Foundation for a Better Environment (FABE) has trained over 130,000 schoolchildren in environmental sustainability, circular economy and gardening skills across 174 government schools.
The Chief Executive Officer and founder of FABE, Mrs Temitope Okunnu, disclosed this at the EcoSchoolsNG Youth Climate & Circular Economy Summit and Annual Closeout & Innovation Showcase 2026, on Monday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EcoSchoolsNG is a 10-month intensive training programme and climate environmental education and circular economy skills.
The EcoSchoolsNG programme is championed by FABE Foundation in partnership with Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation since 2021 as the main sponsors of the programme.
Okunnu noted that empowering the next generation with environmental skill was the right step in the right direction in addressing the barrage of climate change effects.
“Today is not another event. Today is a moment that represents possibility, progress, and the future of Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not lacking solutions to the climate crisis or climate change. Nigeria is full of them. They are sitting in classrooms. They are standing in school gardens.
“They are sorting waste in classrooms and school compounds and not commingling them with other non-recyclables.
“Across Nigeria today, we are facing serious environmental challenges such as increasing waste generation, flooding and poor waste management, food insecurity and climate vulnerability.
“But here is what gives us hope; through EcoSchoolsNG, over 130,000 students in 174 schools are already taking action since 2016,” she said.
She noted that since 2020, in partnership with Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, it had educated, empowered and equipped 23,000 students in 112 schools across eight communities in Lagos and Ogun states.
According to her, the students are not only learning but acting already.
“They are 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.
“This is not the future; it is happening right now and that is why today matters, because, we are not gathering to talk about problems or the climate crisis. We are here to amplify solutions.
“Young people are not leaders of tomorrow, I have often said they are leaders of today.
“To our partners and stakeholders what you are witnessing here is the pipeline of Nigeria’s green economy workforce; a generation that understands, sustainability, innovation, systems thinking and responsibility.
“We appreciate our very dear partners, especially the ACT Foundation — whose support continues to make this vision possible since the last five years,” she said.
On her part, Mrs Abiodun Owo, Project Manager at ACT Foundation, said the support for FABE Foundation’s EcoSchoolsNG project was based on the foundation’s pillar on promoting environmental sustainability.
“At ACT Foundation, we support non-profits that work in four different areas such as health, entrepreneurship, environment and leadership.
“ FABE Foundation happens to fall under our environmental kind of partners, and we chose them because they do exactly what is expected.
“When we look out for partners, we want those that will do things that would be sustainable down the line. So, five years down the line, we are seeing the tangible results.
“You can see what they’re doing with the students, and the students are even becoming entrepreneurs. So it’s no gain saying that we made the right choice of partners,” Owo said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
