Author Archives: sppnigeria

The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady of Enugu State and the Office of the Senior Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, brought together over 50 students, teachers, and stakeholders at the Parliament Hall, Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board for a one-day training on the use of the Climate Education Manual that was launched by Enugu State Government in March 2025.

The manual was co-created by teachers and students and spearheaded by Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, with funding from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. It was designed to equip students with essential knowledge and practical tools to address climate change.

Speaking at the event, the wife of the governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, who was represented by the wife of the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mrs. Chinyere Ugwu, described the initiative as a great idea coming from the office of the SA to the Governor and encouraged the teachers to champion and sustain the novel initiative in the state.

“The role of the teachers is critical in making this process a success to train the students to be climate Ambassadors,” she said.

Similarly, the Commissioner for Environment in Enugu State, Prof Sam Ugwu, who was represented by the Director, Department of Climate Change, Enugu State Ministry of Environment, Dr Nnamdi Arum, thanked the SA and the Office of the First Lady for putting up the initiative, which has become an avenue to empower the younger generation on how to be alert to climate change challenges, including the best and most sustainable ways to address climate impacts.

“This initiative is a significant step towards empowering our educators and students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and address climate change. By equipping them with the tools and resources outlined in the Climate Manual, we can foster a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship in our schools and communities,” he stated.

The Chairman of Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB), Rev. Fr. Dr Hillary Mgbodile, thanked the SA and the Office of the First Lady for the laudable initiative and also prayed for the sustainability of the project and scale-up of the campaign to other schools in the State.

“I commend the SA and the office of the first lady for this great initiative and urge the staff and students present to take the knowledge home and pass it to their colleagues in their various schools,” he noted.

The Director of Schools Services, Enugu State Ministry of Education Mrs. Zita Oba, who was represented by Mrs. Agbo Nkem, thanked the first lady and the SA’s office for the laudable initiative, and for coming back to fulfil their promise of training the staff and students, and also encouraged that this kind of gesture be scaled up to all the schools in Enugu State including primary schools, to ensure sustainability

The event covered training from experts on some topics from the climate manual which include: Climate Change Evidence and Causes, Our Environment and Human Impacts on the Environment, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Climate Solutions: Renewable Energy, Clean Cooking and Climate Change Careers and Becoming a Green Ambassador (Environmental School Club).

There were also hands-on training and practical exhibition by the students on how to make briquettes from scratch. Equally demonstrated was how to make an ottoman chair using plastic waste from the environment.

According to SPP, the next stage of the training will involve the establishment of green clubs in secondary schools in Enugu State, with the schools that participated in the one-day training serving as the pilot hubs.

By Anieze Ethelbert Elochukwu, Policy Analyst at Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP)

The Society for Planet and Prosperity and the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, with support from the University of Bristol, convened Honourable Commissioners of Environment and Climate Change for a Peer-Learning Workshop on the Subnational Climate Governance Rating and Ranking.

• The workshop promoted peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, aiming to strengthen policymakers’ capacity to design, implement and sustain subnational climate projects and initiatives.
• Participants shared best practices, surfaced common challenges, and agreed on practical steps to improve climate governance, monitoring and the long-term sustainability of climate actions across their states.
• The Subnational Climate Governance Rating and Ranking is a performance assessment framework designed to evaluate how Nigerian states are advancing climate governance. It provides evidence-based insights into policy readiness, institutional coordination, implementation mechanisms, and transparency, while encouraging healthy competition, accountability, and continuous improvement in state-level climate action.

We are pleased to announce that the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), in collaboration with the Secondary Education Board (SEB), will host a two-day interactive Climate Education Training for teachers and students from 40 schools across the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

📅 Date: March 3–4, 2026
📍 Location: Participating schools across AMAC, Abuja

📚 The training will utilise the Climate Education Handbook developed by SPP, with support from the University of Bristol, to equip teachers with practical tools to integrate climate literacy into their classrooms and empower students to become climate champions in their schools and communities.

The Society for Planet and Prosperity in collaboration with the Secondary Education Board(SEB), Abuja is set to organise a two-day interactive climate education event for teachers and students from 40 schools across Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC)

The trainings, scheduled to take place on 3rd and 4th March, 2026, will utilise the Climate Education Handbook developed by SPP, with support from the University of Bristol, to equip participating teachers with structured tools to integrate climate literacy into their teachings, while inspiring students to become environmental advocates. It will also focus on strengthening climate-related clubs in the schools to promote sustained student engagement and climate action beyond the classroom.

SPP, a not-for-profit organisation at the forefront of climate policy discussions in Nigeria, has identified climate education as a strategic pathway for driving long-term environmental awareness and behavioural change among young people.

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr. Nnaemeka Oruh, Senior Policy Analyst at SPP, emphasised the urgency of early climate engagement.

“As climate change continues to shape the future of our planet, young people are being called to lead the way. We believe that it is important to have these conversations not only in the halls of power, but at the grassroots. Being informed is the first step to developing capacity, and our aim is to take climate knowledge directly into classrooms and empower students to become solution-driven leaders in their communities,” he said.

The Climate Education Manual was developed as a long-term resource for schools aligned with existing curricula, and designed to equips teachers with the tools to confidently deliver lessons on climate science and sustainable living.

By institutionalising climate education through this resource, SPP hopes to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens prepared to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s climate goals.

Ugochukwu Uzuegbu
Communication Specialist, SPP

Energy and climate policy experts suggest that Nigeria could achieve a more effective energy transition by adopting a realistic, data-driven, and economically sustainable approach, as current plans for decarbonising the oil and gas sector may face significant challenges.

The President of the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, made the call at a stakeholders’ workshop convened to present findings from a comprehensive study examining the economic, social and environmental implications of decarbonising Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Okereke explained that although Nigeria has consistently identified natural gas as a transition fuel under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Energy Transition Plan (ETP), there has been limited scientific evaluation of how different gas utilisation pathways could affect employment, economic growth, emissions reduction and long-term development outcomes.

He said the new report evaluates multiple decarbonisation scenarios and assesses how Nigeria can cut carbon emissions while protecting jobs, supporting industrial growth and maintaining energy security.

According to him, “Policy declarations alone are inadequate without strong scientific evidence to guide implementation. The workshop aims to bridge the gap between policy ambition and practical feasibility.

“Our analysis shows that simply stating that gas will serve as a transition fuel does not explain how this will be achieved or the economic consequences of alternative approaches.”

Okereke noted that projections in the current Energy Transition Plan including achieving about 85 per cent electric vehicle adoption and generating up to 150 gigawatts of solar electricity by 2060 may not align with Nigeria’s present technological capacity, infrastructure realities and investment climate.

He stressed the need for what experts describe as a “balanced transition scenario”, which would allow gradual decarbonisation while leveraging Nigeria’s natural resources without locking the country into long-term gas dependence.

The professor also advocated increased deployment of solar mini-grids rather than large-scale utility solar projects, explaining that decentralised energy systems offer faster and more practical electricity access for rural and underserved communities.

He added that the study proposes alternative pathways for deploying savings from fuel subsidy removal, emphasising that subsidy reforms should translate into developmental investments capable of driving green growth and economic diversification.

Also speaking, Senior Research Fellow at ODI Global, Dr Timothy Kelsall, said researchers are examining various subsidy reallocation and energy transition scenarios to determine how Nigeria can simultaneously promote economic expansion, create jobs and reduce carbon emissions.

Kelsall noted that beyond technical modelling, the research incorporates political economy analysis to understand how energy transition policies may create both beneficiaries and opposition within the economy and governance system.

He explained that successful reforms must take into account institutional realities, vested interests and socio-political dynamics that often influence policy implementation.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s status as a major oil-producing nation, Kelsall said the domestic economy is gradually becoming less dependent on oil, although government revenue and exports still rely heavily on the sector.

He said, “Transitioning away from oil will require careful planning, inclusive stakeholder engagement and difficult policy decisions that balance economic stability with environmental sustainability.

“Achieving meaningful energy transition outcomes will depend on coordinated action among political leaders, private sector actors and civil society organisations working collectively to build consensus and implement reforms.”

In an overview presentation, Mr Uche Nnamani, a researcher at SPP, said the workshop was convened to critically analyse the economic implications of Nigeria’s energy transition.

He said, “The session highlighted the importance of adopting a data-driven and inclusive approach to ensure that the transition supports sustainable economic development while minimising potential disruptions to key sectors of the economy.”

Nnamani added that discussions were structured around clearly defined objectives aligned with Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals, including promoting renewable energy adoption, enhancing energy security, reducing carbon emissions and fostering economic diversification.

He said the aim was to provide actionable insights to guide policymakers, stakeholders and investors towards building a resilient, low-carbon and economically viable energy future for Nigeria.

The experts maintained that evidence-based policymaking remains critical to ensuring that Nigeria’s green transition supports national development priorities, strengthens energy access and positions the country for a sustainable low-carbon future.