…project reaches 18 million Nigerians

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA — The Country Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria (SOSCVN), Mr. Eghosa Erhumwunse, has said the Eco Champions Project clearly demonstrates the enormous potential of young people as drivers of sustainable development.

Erhumwunse stated this on Wednesday in Abuja during the close-out ceremony of the first phase and the unveiling of the second phase of the Eco Champions Project.

In his opening remarks, he said: “Today is both a moment of reflection and a moment of renewed commitment. We are here to celebrate progress made, lessons learned, lives touched, and voices amplified through the first phase of Eco Champions.”

He added that the first phase of the project proved what is possible when young people are trusted and invested in.

“The first phase of the Eco Champions Project showed us what is possible when we trust and invest in young people. We saw young leaders rise with bold ideas, practical solutions, and unwavering determination. We saw young women take up space, speak with confidence, and lead conversations on sustainability and resilience,” he said.

Erhumwunse noted that through advocacy, awareness campaigns, capacity building, community engagement, and media visibility, the Eco Champions demonstrated that “youth are not just beneficiaries of development, they are drivers of development.”

Speaking on the second phase of the project, themed ‘Empowering Youth for Gender-Responsive Climate Action’, he said the initiative will focus on two key outcomes: empowering young activists, especially young women in vulnerable positions, to lead climate initiatives, and ensuring communities actively engage them as agents of change.

“The results are simple yet profound: local communities drive gender-responsive and inclusive climate action, and strengthen the resilience of children, young people, and community members,” he stated.

He stressed that climate action cannot succeed if women, girls, and vulnerable groups are left behind, noting that gender-responsive programming remains central to the project.

The Country Director urged the Eco Champions to remain focused, resilient, creative, and committed, saying: 

“Leadership is defined not by age, but by purpose and action. As we begin this next chapter, keep speaking up, innovating, and inspiring others. Nigeria needs your voice now more than ever.”

The first phase of the project reached over 18 million Nigerians through community sensitisation, school-based climate education, and media engagement.

In his remarks, the Chief Programme Officer of SOSCVN, Mr. Adelopo Ayodeji, called on eligible youths to apply for the next cohort of the project to contribute solutions that promote environmental responsibility and sustainable practices.

Also speaking, Director of Programme Quality and Influencing at Plan International, Dr. Helen Idiong, emphasized that adequate attention to youths would make solutions to combat climate change more effective.

The Principal Community Development Officer at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Obiorah, expressed the ministry’s readiness to support youth-led ideas and initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change impacts.

Similarly, Head of Legal at the National Council on Climate Change, Awele Ikobi-Anyali, stressed the need for deeper awareness creation and encouraged support for young people to implement environmental protection actions.