Group Trains 500 Students, Teachers On Climate Change

Posted by Eric Ojo African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, November 15th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As part of its capacity building initiative on climate change, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) has trained 500 students and teachers from 63 Senior Secondary Schools in Abuja.

The students and teachers who participated in the training workshop were drawn from schools across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which include, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji.

GIFSEP is a non-profit organization founded on the ideals of environment education, climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy and sustainable development.

The organization was established in recognition of the tremendous environmental challenges and the ever-increasing threat arising from the impacts of climate change. Moreover, its mission is to mobilize communities to build resilience to a changing climate, to conserve and protect the environment.

The project is supported by Global Environment Facility Small Grant Program (GEF SGP Nigeria) The GEF SGP is implemented in Nigeria by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Executive Director of GIFSEP, Mr. David Michael Terungwa said the training is an upscale from the first phase of the project that was started in 2017 where 16 Eco clubs were established and the students practically engaged in recycling, composting, solar, organic gardening and tree planting.

“Under this phase Environmental Clubs will the formed in all the 73 Senior Secondary Schools in FCT and the students practically engaged and their capacity will be built on renewable energy technology, recycling and planting and maintenance orchards in schools”, he said.

Also in his remarks at the event, Alhaji Yabuku Sani Stores, who represented the Chairman of FCT Secondary Education, noted that climate change remains an issue of great concern for humanity, adding that there is an overwhelming consensus on its cause which is due to green gas emission.

He described the training as very apt since it focuses on how to address the problems associated climate change and boost the capacities of students and teachers on “this all important global topic”.

“I hope students will become climate change ambassadors at the end of this training workshop”, he added.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Head of Division (HOD), Science, Technology and Mathematics, FCT Secondary Education Board, Hajiya Rahmatu Nusa Kumar said the training is very important.

She thanked the management of GIFSEP for facilitating it, adding that the collaboration between the Board and GIFSEP, particularly on climate change issues, has been very fruitful, over the years.

She also harped on the need for a paradigm shift on issues concerning climate change, adding that having a different mindset is imperative because issues underpinning climate change, according to her, are largely predicated on human activities.