In a significant effort to strengthen environmental awareness and sustainability among youth, the Royal Iwere Foundation’s (RIF) Climate Change Club has partnered with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Delta State, Warri Zone and Center for Waste Management and Sustainable Resources, Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun to introduce child-friendly climate action extracurricular activities with Her Royal Majesty, Queen Consort Warri Kingdom, Olori Atuwatse III donating recycling equipment to each of the 25 secondary schools across Warri. The official introduction which commenced from March 1st 2025, represents an important step in empowering future generations to actively protect the environment, particularly as the South-South region has been identified as an area that requires substantial climate action intervention in Nigeria.
This strategic alliance is anchored on the engagement of five NYSC Community Development Service (CDS) groups, including the Agro-Allied CDS, Culture and Tourism CDS, Education CDS, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) CDS, and Medical CDS groups. Through this partnership, corps members under the guidance of the RIF Team will be instrumental in educating students on climate action, sustainable agriculture, cultural heritage preservation, environmental health, and the broader implications of climate change on global development.
Speaking on the significance of the collaboration, Her Royal Majesty, Olori Atuwatse III, visioner of the Royal Iwere Foundation remarked: “The introduction of the Climate Change Club through the Royal Iwere Foundation is a pivotal movement that seeks to instil a lifelong commitment to environmental responsibility among our youth in the South-South regions of Nigeria and beyond. This collaboration with NYSC Delta State, Warri South LGA underscores the power of collective action in addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time and our region. By engaging Corps members across diverse disciplines relating to the subject matter, the beneficiary schools will receive a holistic understanding of climate change, its far-reaching impact and how they can contribute their quota to keeping their communities – our land, shorelines and mangroves safe.”
As the Climate Change Club launches across 25 schools, the Royal Iwere Foundation and its partners are hopeful that this initiative will cultivate a generation of environmentally conscious individuals. With the increasing need for climate action in the South-South region, the initiative is set to make a lasting impact. Observers anticipate that this collaborative effort will inspire an expansion of the projects across more schools and extend beyond Warri into other parts of the South-South regions. Furthermore, this initiative hopes to encourage more climate-related projects, and partnerships to ensure that sustainability becomes a key priority for the youth in the region.
