IGEN Calls for Increased Climate Finance for Education

Nigeria's education sector is allocated just 1.5% of global climate finance, even though the country ranks second globally in children's exposure to climate and environmental risks. This alarming statistic was revealed in the State of Greening Education in Nigeria Report and Policy Brief, launched in Abuja by the Institute for Greening Education in Nigeria (IGEN) in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

IGEN's Executive Secretary, Unyime Robinson, emphasized the need for a National Policy on Greening Education, improved institutional coordination, and increased investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and teacher development. He identified flooding, extreme heat, erosion, drought, and desertification as significant threats to school infrastructure and children's wellbeing.

Robinson called for the integration of education into Nigeria's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to secure more climate financing for education. Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of UBEC, represented by Lydia Gbagi, reaffirmed UBEC's commitment to creating sustainable learning environments through initiatives like the Greening Schools and Climate Change Education Intervention.