A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Junior Achievement Nigeria, is set to support Nigerian youths to promote sustainable solutions to climate change effects.
Mrs Foluso Gbadamosi, Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria, made this known in a statement in Lagos on Monday.
Gbadamosi said that the NGO would provide the support in partnership with a leading chemical company known as BASF.
“Our partnership with BASF provides young people in Nigeria with the resources and support needed to promote sustainable solutions to climate issues.
“The voices of young people will make a smooth transition to a climate-friendly future of a greater possibility.
“According to the United Nations, half of the people on our planet are 30 years old or younger, and this is expected to reach 57 per cent by the end of 2030.
“This is another call for the nation and the world at large to support young people in this transformation.
“This is why Junior Achievement, with BASF, is implementing the second edition of the National Innovation Challenge on young voices for a sustainable future,” she said.
She added that the national challenge billed to begin on Aug. 29 was aimed at empowering students, from ages 15 years to 20 years, with a particular focus on underrepresented youths.
“This initiative seeks to amplify the voices of young individuals by addressing the local impact of climate change and inspiring innovative solutions to combat climate-related issues within their communities.
“The goal of the national challenge is to create a signature showcase for Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) and students who will benefit from the impact of the Junior Achievement WorldWide.
“The goal is also to create transition lessons. It is a school-based challenge for senior secondary school students.
“Eight exceptional student teams, meticulously selected through the rigorous workshop process, will present their innovative ideas and solutions to an esteemed panel of independent judges,” she said.
She added that the judges would evaluate the proposals against a pre-defined set of criteria, assessing both the innovation and viability of the ideas in various facets of implementation.
“The winning team from the national challenge will earn the honoir of representing Nigeria at the prestigious Virtual Global Exchange Program (VGEP).
“VGEP is an international stage where they will engage with their peers around the world to exchange ideas, insights and efforts aimed at addressing urgent challenges posed by climate change,” she said.
She quoted Dr Akintayo Adisa, Manager, Senior Project Sustainability of BASF, as saying that the ability to innovate effectively served as the bedrock of any progressive society.
“Given the myriad of problems and challenges facing Nigeria as a society, it is important to change the way we view these challenges.
“This is why the culture of innovation in our schools and institutions must be encouraged, developed and supported.
“It is important to start seeing problems as opportunities to innovate and create value for society through the development of sustainable solutions.
“Hence, it is pleasure to support this initiative and encourage people at such a young age to start adopting an innovative approach to problem-solving and creating value for society,” she quoted Adisa as saying.
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