Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Nigeria on Monday launched an ambitious continent-wide climate advocacy campaign aimed at transforming African youths from climate victims into drivers of grassroots environmental action, innovation and sustainable development.
The initiative, known as the Climate Beyond Borders Caravan, began in Abuja with a strong call for urgent youth-led responses to worsening climate disasters already disrupting livelihoods, food systems and economic stability across Africa.
Backed by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and organised by the People, Planet and Peace Foundation, the campaign is expected to traverse 17 African countries across West, East, Central and Southern Africa in what organisers describe as one of the continent’s most extensive grassroots climate mobilisation efforts.
Themed “From Awareness to Action: Mobilizing Resourceful Nigerian Youth for Grassroots Climate Solutions,” the caravan seeks to equip young Africans with practical skills, indigenous technologies and advocacy tools to confront the escalating climate crisis within their communities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said climate change had moved beyond environmental rhetoric to become a harsh economic and social reality affecting millions of Nigerians daily.
Presenting a goodwill message, the minister warned that climate-induced disasters are already reshaping livelihoods across the country, with northern communities battling desertification and prolonged drought while southern states face devastating floods and coastal erosion.
“The effects of climate change are now present in our homes, markets and communities,” he said.
“Food prices continue to rise as changing weather patterns disrupt agriculture.”
Olawande described Nigerian youths as “resourceful but underutilised,” insisting that young people possess the creativity, resilience and innovative capacity needed to drive climate adaptation and sustainable development across the continent.
He argued that beyond its environmental dangers, climate change also presents significant economic opportunities through green entrepreneurship, renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, recycling, and sustainable waste management.
The minister highlighted ongoing interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, including the establishment of the Youth Migration and Climate Action Resilience Department within the ministry.
He also referenced the government’s Circular Economy Youth Empowerment Initiative, popularly known as Waste to Wealth, which aims to create jobs for about 37,000 young Nigerians through recycling and eco-friendly production.
The launch of the caravan comes against the backdrop of increasing climate emergencies across Africa, where experts warn that rising temperatures, desert encroachment, flooding, food insecurity and environmental degradation are intensifying poverty, displacement and social instability.
Nigeria has in recent years witnessed recurring floods that destroyed homes, farmlands and infrastructure in several states, while prolonged dry seasons and erratic rainfall patterns continue to threaten agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.
Climate advocates say Africa contributes the least to global carbon emissions but remains among the regions most vulnerable to the consequences of global warming.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Joseph Omoniyi of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology described the caravan as a strategic continental effort to identify and document local technologies and indigenous solutions capable of addressing environmental challenges in African communities.
According to him, the initiative aims to create a continent-wide library of practical innovations that can be adapted by young people across participating countries.
“The attempt is to find technologies that are peculiar to those countries and create a library of local solutions that can be harnessed by the youth,” he said.
Omoniyi added that findings from the caravan could eventually feed into a broader African climate summit aimed at strengthening the continent’s voice during international climate negotiations, including future United Nations climate conferences.
A Kenyan climate advocate and founder of Roots of Hope, Mariam Abdreshi, said the campaign was especially important because climate change disproportionately affects women and vulnerable communities.
She stressed that women remain central to food production, family welfare and grassroots development across Africa, making their inclusion in climate solutions essential.
“This caravan is important because it connects communities and helps us grow a greener Africa,” she said.
The caravan leader and co-organiser, Olatunji Olayiton-Francisco, explained that the programme goes beyond awareness campaigns by focusing on practical training and grassroots mobilisation.
According to him, participants are expected to return to their communities as climate ambassadors capable of driving local advocacy, environmental sanitation, tree planting and sustainability initiatives.
After Nigeria, the caravan is expected to continue through countries including Benin Republic and Togo before moving to other African nations where climate advocates and youth groups have already been mobilised.
Private sector stakeholders at the event also called for stronger investment and policy support for green innovation.
Founder of Artuno and CarbonScope360, Ayo Ogunlowo, said climate advocacy must produce visible economic benefits if communities are to embrace sustainable practices.
“We need advocacy, commercialization and governance working together. Climate action should not just be about ticking boxes; people must benefit from it,” he said.
Ogunlowo disclosed that his organisation recently launched a N100 million climate innovation fund to support environmentally sustainable businesses.
According to him, the first beneficiaries include enterprises focused on reusable sanitary pads, alternative energy solutions and paper recycling initiatives designed to reduce environmental pollution and open burning.
He added that the organisation is also supporting over 200 schoolchildren and funding women-focused environmental empowerment projects in local communities.
For many participants at the Abuja launch, the Climate Beyond Borders Caravan represents more than an advocacy tour. It is increasingly being seen as a growing continental movement seeking to redefine Africa’s climate future through youth leadership, local innovation and community-driven action.