The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says it has trained over 20 million children and young people to take climate action through volunteering, education, skills development, entrepreneurship, and advocacy in the country.

Besides, it explained that Nigeria is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world particularly for children and young people adding that rising temperatures, devastating floods, and prolonged droughts are already impacting their health, education, and futures.

Speaking at World Environment Day in Abuja, its representative, Dr. Jane Bevan, stressed that across Nigeria, children and youth especially those in vulnerable communities face the harsh consequences of environmental degradation and plastic pollution.

Bevan observed that the climate challenge is not just a children’s crisis, but it is fundamentally a children’s and national crisis, saying they are also our greatest hope driving change through innovation, action, and mobilizing their communities.

“UNICEF is very happy to support the Ministry’s ongoing efforts in engaging more children and youth in environmental action and skill development programs related to the new opportunities that are emerging, such as recycling plastic reinforcing the message that waste is actually a resource,” he said.

“We are proud to have already recorded over 100,000 green actions by children and young people. These include tree planting, plastic waste management, water and electricity conservation, and community leadership to spread awareness and build climate resilience.

“We’ve introduced a digital platform for youth empowerment, and the campaign will enable children and young people to take tangible actions collecting plastic, planting trees, saving water and record their contributions on a platform that tracks, celebrates, and rewards their impact.

“Today, we are calling on all of us government, the private sector, civil society, development partners, and community leaders to join hands in enabling children and young people to lead this movement.”

She, therefore, stated that the focus will also be on creating pathways to green economic opportunities. Green rising will increasingly emphasize green skills, livelihoods, and youth entrepreneurship to ensure that youth are not only leading change but also building sustainable futures.