YMCA advocates inclusion of climate change in school curriculum in Nasarawa

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By Linus Ogbu, Lafia

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has advocated inclusion of climate change in school curriculum to promote better understanding of climate change and its impacts among students in Nasarawa State.

Mr Ango Adamu, Executive Secretary YMCA Mada Hills, made this appeal in Garaku, Kokona local government during inter – school debate on climate change.

He said that the YMCA was working closely with the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to ensure inclusion of climate change in school curriculum in the state.

He said further that YMCA was committed to strengthening communities adaptive capacity to increase their resilience on issues around climate change.

“To combat climate change, we need to train people to change their behaviours and mindsets to behave in a normal way so that we can have safer environments to live.

“If we don’t do something now to combat it, we are putting our children in the next 30 years to come in danger, that’s why we feel is important to begin to sensitise schools children.

“We have trained a lot of farmers on briquettes production and community nursery to reduce indiscriminate cutting of trees,” he said.

The Executive secretary said the organisation and partners had carried out a lot of capacity building training on gender and youths inclusion into climate change as well as advocacy and influencing skills to enhance their participation.

According to him, the campaign against climate change impacts in schools will disabuse the contrary perceptions among the students and the teachers as to whether or not climate change is real.

He explained that the school debate programme was part of African Activists for Climate Justice Project, funded by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in eight African countries, which Nigeria happened to be one of them.

Adamu said AACJ project consist of consortium of five Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Oxfam, Natural Justice, African Youth Commission and the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET).

“The goal of the project is to amplify and unite the voices of Africans, demanding that the most vulnerable groups; women, youths and local indigenous communities in the target countries have the capacity to defend and realise their human rights.

“And also live a decent and dignify life in a healthy and sustainable environment within the context of climate emergency,” he said.

Also speaking, Mrs Nancy Abdullahi, Director of Agriculture, Kokona LGA and Imotor Cephas, Kokona Education Area Officer both thanked the organisers, noting that the debate would expose the students to the reality of climate change and the need to plant trees.

The Principals of the both Government Secondary School, Garaku and Trust Academic, Garaku, Mr Jibrin Yahaya and Mr Ngule Langi both thanked the YMCA and partners, saying that the debate would broaden the knowledge of the students on climate change.

The debate entitled: “Climate change has done more harm than good” featured Government Secondary School (GSS), Garaku as proposed debater and Trust Academic, Garaku as opposed debaters and GSS, Garaku emerged winner.