…Call for Effective Implementation and Youth Advisory Boards

By Chinedu Adonu

ENUGU — Youths from the South-East region of Nigeria have called for greater inclusion in the formulation and implementation of climate change policies, urging the government to provide platforms that allow young people to play a more active role in shaping a sustainable future.

The demand was made during the South-East Regional Local Conference of Youth (LCOY Nigeria 2025), organized by the South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) at Hotel Sylvia, Enugu.

Over 100 young participants drawn from the five South-East states emphasized the importance of youth participation in climate-related decision-making processes.

With the theme “Youth at the Forefront of Climate Justice: Accelerating Action for a Just Transition,” the conference highlighted that climate change impacts disproportionately affect young people, who are the future drivers of national development.

Participants called on governments at all levels to establish youth advisory boards to facilitate inclusive engagement in policy formulation and implementation.

“Give youths a chance at decision tables. Government should start by creating youth advisory boards that can help shape and implement policies reflecting the needs of young people,” one participant urged.

The Head of Programs at SSDO, Udochukwu Enwerem, said the regional conference was aimed at identifying climate issues affecting young people in the South-East and collating inputs to inform national and global policy discussions.

“Today, we have gathered to discuss climate change, and we are glad to have youths from across the South-East joining their voices,” Enwerem said. “Most times, discussions happen without youth inclusion. The LCOY is taking place across all regions in Nigeria to generate an agenda for the upcoming national climate conference and the global conference in Brazil next month.”

Also speaking, Friday Ogazi, ActionAid International’s Climate Justice Advisor for West Africa, emphasized that young people are often the first responders to climate impacts in their communities and must therefore be central to climate justice conversations.

“Climate justice works with youths at the center. They are the first responders when it comes to climate impacts in communities,” Ogazi said. “It’s essential that government mobilizes local resources to ensure a fair, inclusive, and sustainable response that secures the future of our children.”

He added that the effects of climate change are already visible across key sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and livelihoods, particularly among young people in rural areas.

In his remarks, Nnamdi Arum, Deputy Director, Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, noted that the state government has taken proactive measures to tackle climate challenges, including setting up implementation committees to drive policy actions.

“We already have policies and plans in place to tackle climate change in Enugu State, and Governor Peter Mbah has inaugurated a committee to ensure effective implementation,” Arum stated.