Author Archives: sppnigeria

The Enugu State Government has taken a major step towards mobilising climate finance and accelerating sustainable development with the inauguration of the Climate and Development Finance and Investment Platform (CDFIP). The event brought together government officials, development partners, private sector representatives and technical experts to operationalise the state’s approach to transforming climate ambitions into bankable investment opportunities.

The programme which held at the Old Government lodge on August 5, 2026, in Enugu focused on strengthening institutional coordination, improving project preparation, and identifying flagship projects capable of attracting public and private investment.

Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, highlighted the roles of the four Technical Working Groups (TWGs) that will drive the implementation of the Climate Development Finance and Investment Platform (CDFIP). The TWGs cover Governance, Public Financial Management and Investment; Renewable Energy and Electricity Markets; Waste-to-Wealth and Circular Economy; and Climate-Smart Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions.

He equally announced the leadership of the respective TWGs, noting that they would be responsible for coordinating activities within their thematic areas and ensuring the platform delivers on its core objectives. While charging the leadership and members of the TWGs to roll up their sleeves and commence work immediately, Prof. Okereke urged them to seize the opportunity to write their names in the history of Enugu State for the operationalisation of the CDFIP.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuoke, National Team Leader of the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), UKFCDO, observed that “the days of free money are gone,” stressing that the quality of government policy decisions, actions and inactions will largely determine how public institutions respond to the growing impacts of climate change. He explained that the realisation of a critical gap prompted the team to further assess the level of government commitment and the institutional structures available to respond effectively to climate change challenges.

Mr. Ugwuoke, while noting that the impacts of climate change are better experienced than explained, particularly in the face of increasing temperatures and extreme heat events; he explained that, to determine whether the state’s governance, finance and investment architecture is sufficiently prepared to attract climate finance and position Enugu State as a competitive destination for green investment, a Climate Finance Readiness Assessment was undertaken – The assessment examined the state’s budgetary processes, institutional arrangements and human resource capacity to determine its readiness to attract investment.

Mr Ugwuoke stated that the findings reinforced the need to operationalise the CDFIP and urged all stakeholders to approach the Platform with the seriousness it deserves. According to him, Financial Investment Decisions (FIDs) often require considerable time to mature; therefore, the Enugu State Investment Promotion Agency must move swiftly to leverage the investment structures being established through the Platform in order to accelerate investment mobilisation for the state.

In his remark, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof. Sam Ugwu, reaffirmed Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to transforming Enugu State through climate resilience and by unlocking green finance from global financing opportunities to support the state’s sustainable development agenda. The Commissioner assured participants that the state would ensure that every investment delivers measurable mitigation and adaptation outcomes and is tracked through a robust Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. While declaring that Enugu is open for green business through the CDFIP, he emphasised that the next critical step is to build strong partnerships capable of mobilising investment at scale and translating climate ambition into tangible development outcomes for Enugu State.

A key highlight of the programme was a plenary session on “What Makes a Project Bankable?”, which explored the essential characteristics that financiers look for before committing resources to climate and infrastructure projects. Participants were reminded that bankability extends beyond technical feasibility to include financial viability, commercial attractiveness, climate impact and implementation readiness.

The session also highlighted that different financiers – including climate funds, development finance institutions (DFIs), private investors, green bond investors and institutional investors – apply different investment criteria, making it essential for project developers to understand the specific expectations of each financing source.

Dr. Emeka Nwangele delivered a presentation showcasing opportunities for innovation in Enugu’s emerging clean energy ecosystem. He highlighted the growing potential of electric mobility in the state, noting that the current transport system presents opportunities for optimisation through electric vehicles, smart charging infrastructure and digital route management systems.

He announced that electric vehicle charging units are expected to arrive in Enugu within the coming weeks and stressed the importance of attracting both national and international partners to support the development of the state’s electric mobility ecosystem.

Dr. Nwangele also presented an innovative clean energy solution designed to address limitations of the existing centralised electricity system. He explained that while many households and businesses are increasingly deploying distributed renewable energy systems, there is currently no effective mechanism for small-scale generators to sell excess electricity back to the grid or neighbouring consumers.

His team has therefore developed a technology platform that enables surplus renewable electricity to be traded within communities, creating new opportunities for decentralised energy markets while improving energy access and system efficiency. In his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to positioning climate action as a driver of economic development rather than simply an environmental obligation.

He encouraged all Technical Working Groups to identify practical, investment-ready flagship projects capable of attracting climate finance and reducing dependence on government budget allocations. Stressing the need to transform climate challenges into economic opportunities, he declared that “Enugu will not adapt to the future; Enugu will lead the future.”

The event also featured technical breakout sessions across four Technical Working Groups. Each group was tasked with identifying one flagship bankable project, outlining investment pathways, and agreeing on immediate actions to advance project preparation. Expected outputs included the formal inauguration of the CDIP governance structure, adoption of reporting arrangements, preparation of initial project concept notes and agreement on an implementation roadmap.

Also present at the event are Benjamin Osy Okoh, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure; Dr. Felix Nnamani, Commissioner for Labour and Employment; Dr. Patrick Uburu, Commissioner for Agriculture Enugu State; and Ms. Sandra George, SA Revenue Monitoring including Development Partners, Consultants, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Staff of other Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

By Uchenna Nnamani and Elochukwu Anieze (SPP)

The Enugu State Government, in collaboration with the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), has officially flagged off the implementation of the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC) project with an inception meeting themed “From Policy and Institutional Framework to Action: Piloting Subnational Methane Mitigation in Enugu State’s Waste Sector.”

The initiative marks a significant milestone towards developing Enugu State’s first implementation-ready policy and institutional framework for methane mitigation in the waste sector, with a particular focus on landfill and dumpsite methane emissions.

The technical assistance project is funded by the Climate Group under the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC) and was facilitated by Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, and President of the SPP.

Speaking during the inception meeting, Professor Okereke described the project as a strategic intervention that will strengthen collaboration between the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) to prioritise the measurement, management and mitigation of methane emissions from the waste sector. According to him, the project positions Enugu State as a national pioneer in translating climate policy commitments into practical implementation, while supporting Nigeria’s obligations under the Climate Change Act 2021 and the country’s Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS).

Professor Sam Ugwu, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, in his remark, commended the partnership and noted that “this is the first of such project in the whole of Nigeria.” He reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to providing the necessary institutional support to ensure the successful delivery of the project and to position Enugu as a model for subnational methane action across the country.

Delivering the technical presentation, Professor Diemuodeke Ogheneruona, highlighted the urgent need for a dedicated institutional framework for methane mitigation in Enugu State’s waste sector. He noted that Enugu generates approximately 420 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, serving an estimated 722,664 residents, with annual methane emissions from waste estimated to range between 456 and 4,681 tonnes of methane (tCH₄).

Despite existing climate policy commitments, the state currently lacks a comprehensive framework that clearly defines institutional responsibilities, baseline methodologies, hotspot identification, and coordinated interventions for methane management.

He explained that the project aims to establish clear institutional roles among ESWAMA, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and Local Government Authorities; develop practical and low-cost methodologies for measuring landfill methane emissions; validate a stakeholder-driven policy and institutional framework; and identify priority mitigation measures including organics diversion, improved landfill operations, controlled waste cells and waste-to-energy opportunities.

Professor Ogheneruona further outlined the project’s five-stage implementation approach, which includes policy diagnostics, institutional mapping, stakeholder engagement, action planning and validation, and finalisation of the framework over an eight-month period culminating in January 2027.

The project will deliver Enugu State’s first validated methane action framework, a governance and reporting model, a baseline methane measurement protocol, a prioritised mitigation portfolio, and a 2027–2028 implementation roadmap capable of attracting further technical assistance, public investment and climate finance to Enugu State.

Participants at the inception meeting included representatives of the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, ESWAMA, development partners, academia and technical experts, who collectively reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the project.

The initiative is expected to position Enugu State as Nigeria’s leading subnational government in methane mitigation from the waste sector, while creating a replicable model for other states seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve waste management systems, and unlock access to climate finance through implementation-ready climate action.

By Gboyega Olorunfemi and Elochukwu Anieze (SPP)

Societies are shaped by the voices they choose to amplify. I came to this realisation after spending a month teaching climate change at Government Day Secondary School, G.R.A., Enugu, under the Enugu State Growing Green Generation Pilot Project—an initiative of the Office of the Senior Adviser to the Governor on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, the Ministries of Environment and Education, and supported by the UNICEF Enugu Field Office.

Shortly after my experience, Nigeria’s social media space erupted with debates over the so-called “Olodo Uprising.” Beneath the humour and memes lay a more profound national conversation about knowledge, competence, and the consequences of poor education. For me, the debate also offered a powerful lens through which to reflect on my experience teaching climate science.

I arrived in the classroom expecting to teach climate change, but found myself competing with voices that had been teaching long before I arrived: social media, family conversations, popular culture, etc. Some of what the students believed was accurate, but much of it was rooted in myths, misconceptions, and half-truths. My role quickly became less about introducing new knowledge and more about helping students distinguish facts from misinformation.

The lesson from the recent “Olodo Uprising” debate, therefore, is not simply about who is intelligent, but about whose voices shape our collective future. At a time when climate change demands informed public engagement, the debate reminds us of several reasons why evidence-based voices matter. This is not about silencing disagreement or alternative opinions; it is about ensuring that public debate is anchored in facts rather than falsehoods.

Firstly, without credible voices, misinformation fills the gap. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that misinformation and disinformation have become among the defining global risks of the twenty-first century because they undermine our ability to respond collectively to crises. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a painful lesson that misinformation can be just as dangerous as the crisis itself. False claims about miracle cures, vaccines, and unproven treatments spread rapidly, creating confusion, undermining trust, and costing lives.

Climate change faces a similar test. While outright climate denial persists, more subtle forms of misinformation have become increasingly common: some commentators claim renewable energy cannot work, exaggerate its costs while ignoring its benefits, or portray climate change as a Western conspiracy designed to prevent Africa’s development. These narratives erode public trust, discourage support for practical climate solutions, and ultimately delay meaningful action.

Secondly, understanding climate change requires interpreting scientific evidence that most people cannot easily verify for themselves and depend on trusted interpreters. If these interpreters are less informed but louder, people lose reliable guidance and are susceptible to climate myths.

Thirdly, misconceptions can shape behaviour, with real world consequences for how we choose to act. Communities may oppose renewable energy projects based on false claims, farmers may ignore climate-smart agricultural practices, or families may fail to respond appropriately to disaster preparedness warnings because they distrust scientific advice.

Lastly, students today will become tomorrow’s decision makers. What they believe today will shape future choices. If the voices students hear every day ridicule climate science, dismiss environmental responsibility, or reward ignorance, climate education will always be fighting an uphill battle. If we fail to intentionally educate young people about climate change today, we may inadvertently create an “Olodo Uprising” in the green economy: a generation excluded from emerging opportunities because they were never equipped with the knowledge to participate. Amplifying evidence-based voices therefore is an investment in the quality of future leadership.

If we are serious about tackling climate change, we must invest in the people and institutions that communicate evidence with credibility and integrity: scientists, teachers, journalists, and climate communicators.

Charles Dickens in “Hard Times” once mocked an educational philosophy that demanded, “Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life.” He was right to question the idea that facts alone make us human. Yet he could hardly have imagined a century in which facts themselves would become contested. Today, Climate science does not suffer from a lack of evidence, but from the growing influence of louder, more persuasive ignorant voices that dismiss or distort it. Facts matter, but they rarely speak for themselves. They require credible messengers whom people trust. The challenge before us, therefore, is not simply to teach facts, but to cultivate trust.

The Olodo Uprising should remind us that the real question is not who speaks the loudest, but whose voices we choose to elevate. Our collective future will depend on that choice.

Chukwuebuka Ibezim
Climate Education Champion

The greatest missing ingredient in climate education is not information but social influence. My experience as a Climate Champion in the Growing Green Generation Project, a four-week Climate Education Program organized by the Special Adviser to the Enugu State Governor on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, in partnership with the office of the First Lady, and the Enugu State ministries of Environment and Education, taught me this.

I was assigned to Goshen Star College, Enugu, for an experiential climate change campaign with the students. Our approach wasn’t limited to classroom teaching or assignments; we were equipped with series of hands-on activities during the program. The students were taught that waste is not entirely useless. Our partner from Dosky Arts Quest taught the students how non-biodegradable waste could be converted into usable products and art, so as to shield the environment from suffering from our waste. There was also a tree-planting exercise, where students planted both economic and ornamental trees around the school, and then, with the help of the school management, we took steps to turn this new understanding into a living legacy. We established a Climate Action Club, a structured space where students can continue to discuss, learn, lead, and champion the campaign for eco-friendly habits within their school and the society.

However, as time went on, I began to notice a troubling pattern. At first, students were excited and interested in the program, but by the second week, I noticed that some of the students who had been the most enthusiastic no longer attended climate club meetings. As I began to explore the reason for the emerging trend, I became aware of the influence of peer pressure and how students’ attitudes are shaped by their environment, and not just the lesson content. Very often, we have been focusing on curricula, lesson plans and knowledge. Of course, these are all important, but incomplete without factoring in the social environment where this knowledge is supposed to live, and how culture shapes whether students act on the knowledge they are given.

What happens after the lesson ends, and peer pressure enters the scene? A student can understand climate change and still avoid carrying a reusable bottle or joining the eco club because friends think it’s weird, nerdy or boring.

When these go unchallenged, the risk is climate education staying knowledge without action, and it doesn’t stop at schools. Students who care about the climate are often labelled by their peers with such words as “preachy, woke, doomsdayer, tree-hugger,” and so many other derogatory labels.

While negative peer pressure can suppress participation in climate action as the social cost of joining outweighs the perceived benefits, interestingly, it can also be a powerful ally. Climate education programs need to tap into peer networks instead of only focusing on curriculum. For a lot of young people, belonging matters more than facts.

Climate clubs are designed to leverage positive peer pressure. If information tells students why climate action matters, climate clubs help answer the question, who around me is already doing it?

But there is a paradox: the very mechanism climate clubs are supposed to harness—peer influence—is often the first obstacle they must overcome before they can create it. Some students quietly confessed they feared their friends would mock them, thinking that climate clubs were merely about “carrying plastic and trash.”  When young people internalize and carry these negative norms into homes and communities, the ripple effect starts to change behavior beyond the classroom. What begins as the fear of being mocked for joining a climate club can gradually become a culture where environmental responsibility itself is viewed with suspicion or ridicule.

We should rethink how climate clubs are positioned. Too often, they are treated as niche groups for a handful of environmentally conscious students rather than communities that any student would be proud to join. The solution to this is to make climate clubs the cool clubs where being a recycling champion carries status that will move students to ask “Why am I not part of this?” instead of “Will my friends laugh if I join?”

Climate clubs should be among the most visible and aspirational communities in a school, where environmental leadership carries prestige. Student leaders, athletes, artists, prefects, and influential students should be encouraged to champion them, helping to redefine what participation represents. When students see these figures leading green projects, it makes participation feel normal and even admirable. Activities should be creative, collaborative, and engaging. And just as schools celebrate excellence in sports, debate, music, and academics, they should also celebrate climate leadership. The objective is not merely to recruit more members, but to flip the social norm.

There is an old saying, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” It endures because it captures a simple truth: the people around us shape the people we become, and the same is true of climate action. If we want young people to become lifelong stewards of the environment, we must shape not only what they know but also the communities they belong to. Because in the end, climate action is contagious.

By Melitus Onyechonam Okogu

Climate Education Champion

e in Climate Education

Sometimes the most important lesson is not the one you planned to teach, it is the one the experience teaches you; That was my full circle experience with Growing Green Generation Pilot Project, an initiative of the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, in partnership with the office of the First lady, Enugu State Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Environment, with support from UNICEF Enugu Field Office
Before entering the classroom at Annunciation Secondary school, Enugu, I had wondered how the experiences of the students have shaped their perception about climate change – Do they know what climate change is, and would they have seen it as something that affects foreigners and rich people far from here?
This engagementrevealed the immense potential of Nigeria’s young people, the barriers that prevent this potential from being fully realised, and why the conversation about climate action cannot be separated from the conversation about the schools and environment where children learn. Despite decades of negotiating climate action in beautiful conference halls, the classrooms – where lasting environmental leadership can truly be cultivated seems to have been neglected.
Above all, the students’ remained remarkably curious during the interactive session that was engaging and the students became eager to speak and learn.

The project was more than a series of lessons, tt was about transforming knowledge into action. One of the most memorable activities was tree planting. Watching students carefully plant and water young trees reminded me that climate education is not only about teaching facts; it is about nurturing a sense of responsibility. Every tree planted was a living statement: that individuals, no matter how young, can contribute meaningfully to protecting the environment.

Equally impactful was the plastic bottle collection drive for recycling. Rather than treating plastic waste as ordinary litter, students began to see it as an environmental challenge with real, practical solutions. Watching them actively participate and make the connection between everyday habits and environmental consequences was one of the most encouraging moments of the experience.

The Growing Green Generation Pilot Project demonstrates what is possible when students are given opportunities to engage with real-world challenges. But programmes like this should inspire the everyday learning experiences, not compensate for what is missing. If we expect young people to become innovators, problem-solvers and environmental stewards, we must provide learning environments that reflect these expectations

To strengthen programmes like these, several steps are worth considering. Climate education should be formally integrated into the school curriculum, making environmental awareness part of everyday learning rather than a periodic visit. Government agencies, private organisations, and development partners should collaborate to provide smart classrooms, reliable electricity, digital teaching tools and teacher capacity development. Learning should move beyond memorisation to inquiry, collaboration and hands-on problem-solving. The school authorities should model sustainability through solar energy, tree planting, recycling initiatives and greener learning spaces, allowing students to experience the values of what they are being taught.

My time at Annunciation Secondary School reaffirmed something far greater than the importance of climate education. It showed me that Nigeria’s young people are ready to learn, innovate and lead; but only if we create learning environments that allow them to do so. The pure zeal I saw in these students has proven that young people are not indifferent to environmental issues, they simply need to be empowered to play their part. If we are intentional about building a climate resilient Enugu and Nigeria, we must continue to invest in these programmes and infrastructure that empower and teach students to become environmental stewards. The seeds we planted both in the soil and in the minds of these students have the potential to grow into a generation that sees sustainability not only as a mere choice but as a shared responsibility.

Chukwuma Raaluchukwu
Climate Education Champion