By Joy Joseph
The Advance Initiative for International Development (AIIDEV), the Dean of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Ibadan,Professor Adejoke Akinyele; Founder of the Waste Museum, Ibadan, Mrs Adejumoke Olowokere; Executive Director, For Nature and Future Ecogreen Initiative, Mr. Elijah Adejimi;Executive Director of Plogging Nigeria,Mr. Mayokun Iyaomolere, and others have called for reforms in school curricula that will inculcate environmental sustainability knowledge in students for Nigeria to have a favourable ecosystem.
The education stakeholders, environmental advocates, and development experts stressed the urgent need for sustainable practices within Nigeria’s school system.
They made the call during the Green School Activation summit organised by the Advance Initiative for International Development (AIIDEV) to promote environmental sustainability in education at the Centre for Sustainable Development (CEDEV), University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Delivering a keynote address with the theme:“Promoting Green Education and Whole School Approach in Nigeria,”the UI’s Dean of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Akinyele, lamented that ‘’Nigeria faces grave environmental challenges such as rapid deforestation, pollution, and the worsening impact of climate change’’.
Prof. Akinyele
The don noted that education is key to cultivating environmentally conscious citizens. She said: “Green education integrates environmental, economic, and social sustainability into the core of learning.”
The dean noted that the Whole-School-Approach model was an effective strategy for embedding sustainability into Nigeria’s education system. According to her, the model promotes curriculum reform and school culture transformation, eco-friendly facilities and school operations, community engagement,and behavioural change among staff and students.The approach aligns with UNICEF’s Green School Initiative, encouraging schools to develop green spaces, resilient infrastructure, and student-led environmental actions.
The professor stressed that stakeholders must learn, inspire, and act—educating themselves, advocating for sustainability, and taking tangible steps toward environmental change.She noted that establishing eco-clubs, organising hands-on activities like clean-ups and tree planting, and implementing waste management systems in schools would help address some of the challenges Nigeria still grapples with. She advocated the Clean Energy Transition in Nigeria, demonstrating how schools could adopt renewable energy solutions to reduce carbon footprints.
In his remarks, Regional Lead of AIIDEV Africa,Emmanuel Ola-Olowoyo,emphasised that it was imperative to integrate sustainable practice in school curriculum, retierating AIIDEV’s commitment to a national movement for green education.
Ola-Olowoyo stated that efforts were ongoing to deepen the initiative goal across various parts of the country. He said:“We are providing seeds, resources, and expert-led training for teachers. Each school should designate at least two agriculture teachers to lead sustainability efforts. We plan to monitor progress through annual reports and introduce competitions for the most eco-active schools.”
On her part, Olowokere, who spoke on “Integrating Circular Economy Principles into School Culture”, said environmental sustainability was pivotal. She demonstrated practical ways schools can repurpose waste—turning children’s leftover food into compost manure, encouraging home-grown food gardens, and adopting “learning by doing” models.
Olowokere also introduced Trawap, an innovative teaching aid made from recycled materials, and emphasized the importance of teacher engagement on social media and international benchmarking.
Iyaomolere, who spoke on “Sustainable Approaches to Eco-Friendly Teaching and School Operations’’, said green school project would be beneficial in many ways, including improved student and teacher health, enhanced learning environment, community participation, and others.He, therefore, urged educators to start small, think big, and conduct sustainability audits in their schools.
There was a question-and-answer session, which was moderated by Mr. Ojuoluwa Oluwatobiloba from the Youth Movement for SDGs.In their submission, Mrs. Olatoye and Mr. Adejimi stressed the need for the cultivation of sustainable school environments through gardening, green curriculum, and mindset transformation. They noted that the Green School Activation Programme marked a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s journey toward environmental literacy and school-based sustainability.
