By Gabriel Agbeja, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
In Nigeria, students participate in recycling campaigns to reduce plastic waste, while in Rwanda, communities gather for monthly clean-up exercises that have become a national culture.
Thousands of kilometres away, as a new dawn breaks over a primary school in Kenya, pupils enthusiastically water indigenous tree seedlings planted as part of their environmental club activities.
Along South Africa’s coastline, young volunteers remove plastic debris from beaches, and in Ghana, climate clubs educate students on sustainable agriculture and renewable energy.
Though separated by geography, language and culture, these communities are united by a common understanding: environmental education is becoming one of Africa’s strongest tools for achieving sustainable development.
Environmental experts say, across the continent, Africa is experiencing unprecedented environmental pressures.
According to them, climate change is accelerating droughts in the Horn of Africa, floods in West and Central Africa, cyclones in southern Africa, and coastal erosion along the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines.
They maintain that desertification continues to threaten livelihoods in the Sahel, while deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, unsustainable mining and poor waste management are placing immense pressure on ecosystems that millions depend upon.
According to the experts, environmental challenges are not merely ecological concerns; they are development issues affecting food security, public health, water resources, energy production, education, migration, peace and economic growth.
Mr Tewaney Seifesellassie, Head, Peace, Advocacy and Ethics Department, Senior Climate Advisor, Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC), spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that stronger environmental policies, technological innovation and climate financing remained essential, but sustainable solutions required environmentally informed citizens.
According to Seifesellassie, that is where environmental education assumes a transformative role.
He said that environmental education equipped individuals with the knowledge, practical skills, values and attitudes needed to understand environmental challenges and participate actively in protecting natural resources.
“It encourages responsible consumption, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of forests, land and water resources.
“For Africa—the world’s youngest continent, with a rapidly growing population—investing in environmental education is an investment in future prosperity.
“Climate change Is reshaping Africa from prolonged droughts affecting farmers in Ethiopia and Somalia to devastating floods in Nigeria, South Sudan and Mozambique, climate change is altering livelihoods across Africa,” he said.
In her submission, Mrs Adeola Awokusibe, a Senior Secondary Science Teacher in Osun, said that changing rainfall patterns continued to reduce agricultural productivity, while rising temperatures threaten food production and increase the spread of climate-sensitive diseases.
According to her, the coastal communities are witnessing rising sea levels and shoreline erosion, while shrinking forests and wetlands reduce biodiversity and weaken natural protection against disasters.
“These realities demand not only emergency responses but also long-term behavioural change, beginning with education.
“Environmental education helps citizens understand climate risks, disaster preparedness, ecosystem restoration and sustainable resource management, enabling communities to adapt while reducing future environmental risks” she said.
Awokusebe said that schools, as incubators of environmental leadership, educational institutions remained one of the most effective platforms for cultivating environmentally responsible citizens.
She added that across Africa, schools were increasingly introducing environmental clubs, tree-planting campaigns, recycling projects, school gardens and climate education programmes that provide students with practical environmental experiences.
Furthermore, Prof. Oluwafemi Aluko, a lecturer at the Department of Community Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun, told NAN that instead of treating environmental issues as isolated topics, sustainability should be integrated into science, geography, agriculture, civic education, economics, and social studies.
According to him, universities also have an important responsibility to expand research into renewable energy, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, waste management, sustainable agriculture and green technology while encouraging innovation that responds to Africa’s environmental realities.
“Teacher training institutions should equally strengthen environmental literacy among educators, enabling them to inspire learners through practical and locally relevant teaching methods.
“Communities drive sustainable action; environmental education must extend beyond classrooms into homes, markets, farms and workplaces.
“Traditional rulers, religious leaders, women’s associations, youth organisations and civil society groups possess tremendous influence in shaping public attitudes towards environmental protection.
“Community-based education programmes delivered through local languages, cultural festivals, radio broadcasts and town hall meetings can promote sustainable farming practices, responsible waste management, water conservation and biodiversity protection,” he said.
In addition, Mr Olatunji Francisco, Lead, Climate Beyond Border Caravan (CBBC), in Africa said in an interview that the African media remained indispensable in promoting environmental education.
The CBBC, an initiative of Plant People and Peace Foundation, is a pan-African, youth-led campaign promoting climate action, cross-border cooperation and green economic transformation across the continent.
According to him, through investigative journalism, documentaries, newspaper features, radio programmes, podcasts and multimedia storytelling, journalists simplify complex environmental issues, expose environmental crimes and amplify grassroots solutions.
He said that media organisations also provided platforms for scientists, policymakers and local communities to exchange ideas on climate adaptation, renewable energy, ecosystem restoration and sustainable development.
According to him, consistent reporting encourages public accountability while inspiring environmental action across society.
“Mobile applications, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, geographic information systems, drones and online learning platforms now enable governments, researchers and communities to monitor forests, predict weather patterns, track wildlife and improve disaster preparedness,” he said.
More so, Mr Abduba Galgalo, a kenyan CBBC Participant, said Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) could accelerate environmental innovation while creating employment opportunities within Africa’s emerging green economy
Galgalo, who is also a Data Scientist and Climate Advocate canvassed for transforming data into action for resilient communities, sustainable development, and a greener Africa.
According to him, environmental education across Africa faces numerous challenges.
“Limited funding, inadequate teaching materials, insufficient teacher training, weak policy implementation, poverty and competing development priorities often constrain environmental education initiatives.
“Rapid population growth, urbanisation and unemployment further increase pressure on forests, water resources and biodiversity.
“Building a continental movement environmental degradation does not recognise national borders.
“Sandstorms originating in one country can affect neighbouring states, while polluted rivers, disappearing forests and climate-induced migration frequently transcend political boundaries,” he said.
He said the reality underscored the importance of regional cooperation through institutions such as the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, universities, civil society organisations and development partners.
According to him, a future built on knowledge means recognising that Africa possesses extraordinary natural wealth, from the rainforests of the Congo Basin and the savannahs of East Africa to the mangroves of West Africa and the unique biodiversity of Southern Africa.
As Africa advances the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and works towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, environmental education should become a cornerstone of national and continental development strategies.
For experts, the future of Africa will not be determined solely by its natural resources but by how well its people understand value and protect them.
By investing in environmental education today, environmentalists say the continent can nurture a generation equipped to build a greener, healthier, more resilient and more prosperous Africa for generations to come. (NANFeatures)
Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.
2026-07-30