Coalition of environmental rights campaigners in Nigeria, under the aegis of Global Power Shift (GPS), has charged government at all levels to support the various green initiatives among youths to help address some of the daunting environmental challenges experienced across the country.
GPS Nigeria, an environmental advocacy network is planning to flag off a programme tagged: ‘’Plant for the Planet Academy,’’ to raise awareness and enhance youths capacity in climate change mitigation and adaptation across the North-East region to mark this year’s World Environment Day (WED) coming-up on June 5.
With an estimated number of 89 youths and three secondary schools expected in attendance, the workshop will focus on sensitising participants on the theme event: ‘’Raise your voices, not the sea level,’’ to campaign the message of sustainable living across the world.
Speaking in an interview with Blueprint, GPS Nigeria team leader and organising director of the 2014 WED, UsmanInuwa, blamed the weak regulatory enforcement of government policies for the increasing environmental challenges experienced in the north-east zone.
Inuwa said: ‘’I will like to call on the government and other relevant agencies to actually look into these issues.’’
He highlighted the growing insecurity and low awareness on issues of climate change in the zone as the greatest obstacles that the youths must overcome to promote the concept of sustainable development.
The GPS Nigeria team leader urge the government to desist from activities that encourages dirty energy, and enforce relevant environmental laws and policies to help address some of these challenges. Additionally, Inuwa believes that the involvement of more youths in the planning and implementation process of national development plan will also aid in addressing some of these threats.
Remarking also on the occasion, chief executive of Connected Development (CODE), HamzatLawal, urged Nigerians to observe the 2014 World Environment Day by assessing the nation’s achievements in terms of policy regulations and programs that would creat green sustainable jobs for young people.
“We should also explore building and engaging a smart generation of children and youths full of innovative approach as tools to champion large scale of awareness from the grass root. We need to empower them with the proper tools and also leverage on social media to reach out,’’Lawal said
The enthusiastic environmental rights campaigner while recalling that 2015 is a year of international development agendas ranging from MDGs to SDGs and the global climate treaty urged that: ‘’We should leverage on the World Environment Day to send a strong message of our national commitments as a country and Africa’s largest Economy to set policies that would put Nigeria on the global map among few countries joining the global campaign for a better environment and society at large.’’
In his message, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, said that the World Environment Day 2014 falls during the International Year of Small Island Developing States, declared by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of the special needs of this diverse coalition as part of the global discussion on how to achieve a sustainable future for all.
The UN chief acknowledged that small island nations share a common understanding the world require to set the planet on a sustainable path.
‘’This year, I urge everyone to think about the plight of small island developing states and to take inspiration from their efforts to address climate change, strengthen resilience and work for a sustainable future. Raise your voice, not the sea level. Planet earth is our shared island. Let us join forces to protect it,’’ he said
World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanising individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.