Cynthia Ezegwu
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday inaugurated the Environment Club Nigeria and the Environment Society Nigeria, urging young Nigerians to take the lead in protecting the country’s future through environmental responsibility, climate action and sustainable practices.
Speaking at the national launch held at the State House, Abuja, Senator Tinubu said the initiative was designed to raise a generation of environmentally conscious citizens equipped to champion sustainability in schools, tertiary institutions and local communities.
A statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, confirmed the launch of the clubs.
The First Lady praised young voices in the climate movement, singling out Esther Abraham, an SS3 student of Government Senior Secondary School, Mabushi, for her poem on environmental protection.
“From Esther, I see the passion and the love. When she recited, I saw a woman in love with the environment. It was like a message of love. I look forward to working with you all in the future, by the grace of God,” she said.
Senator Tinubu later distributed membership kits—comprising cards, handbooks and practical working tools—to selected students, saying the items would empower them to fulfil their new roles.
Reflecting on her background in educational biology and her experience teaching environmental sanitation in Lagos, she said her love for plants inspired her commitment to nature. “Young people are the right ambassadors to drive this programme we launch today,” she added.
The First Lady outlined the key objectives of the initiative: promoting environmental preservation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management and fostering eco-friendly mindsets among young Nigerians. She said the clubs would also nurture innovation, alternative livelihoods and green entrepreneurship.
Kukoyi said the motto, “Go Green Today for a Greener Tomorrow,” echoed throughout the ceremony as responsibilities for members were outlined. Secondary school clubs will support clean school environments, recycling, tree planting, reduced plastic use and climate awareness, while university-based societies will engage in shoreline clean-ups, reforestation and broader sustainability campaigns.
Senator Tinubu called on governors’ wives, teachers, principals and university administrators to serve as mentors and “champions of environmental stewardship,” saying, “You are the key champions of this cause. Be creative, be bold, and lead with purpose. The future is green if we make it so.”
Declaring the clubs officially launched, she said they would be coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Environment and state commissioners of environment.
Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal, highlighted Nigeria’s pressing environmental challenges—including poor waste management, weak enforcement and unsafe disposal practices—warning that limited environmental education had contributed to unsustainable habits. He said the clubs would focus on advocacy, climate adaptation, circular economy practices, disaster risk reduction and natural resource management, adding that the government would provide uniforms, tools and logistics.
UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, pledged global support for the initiative, noting that climate change was reshaping lives through floods, heat waves, degraded ecosystems and food system disruptions. She described the movement as youth-led and powered by innovation.
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Attafuah also announced plans for “university courts”—innovation spaces where students can transform environmental ideas into prototypes, businesses and green industries.
“These clubs will become innovation hubs, where young people can turn plastic waste into useful products, design clean energy ideas, nurture green campuses, run climate campaigns, and apply technology to environmental challenges,” she said.
Nigeria continues to grapple with environmental crises, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution and inadequate recycling infrastructure. The Environment Club and Environment Society form part of a broader national strategy to embed environmental education in schools and empower young people to adopt sustainable practices.
The initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises environmental sustainability, inclusive growth and youth empowerment.
Chapters are expected to be established nationwide, creating a network of young environmental champions implementing projects from community clean-ups to climate campaigns aimed at turning schools and campuses into hubs of environmental stewardship and green innovation.