Foundation Seeks Climate Studies in Schools, Targets 10m Trees by 2030

The Printrite Foundation for Sustainable Environment and Education (PFSEE) has urged government authorities to embed climate change studies in Nigeria’s school curriculum, arguing that children must be positioned as key drivers of the country’s environmental future.

Speaking at the launch of the Green Schools’ Initiative and Prize-Giving Day in Abuja, the foundation’s Executive Director, Austin Igwe, said early climate education would build a generation that treats sustainability as a way of life.

“We are already encouraging the government to include climate-focused teaching in school curricula. The truth is, we are already seeing the effects of frequent flooding, hotter weather, and displacement of families. If children learn about it early, it becomes part of their culture, and we will have a more sustainable future,” Igwe explained.

The programme, themed “My Climate, My Future,” also unveiled the foundation’s ambition to plant 10 million trees nationwide by 2030.

Igwe disclosed that the pilot phase in the FCT had succeeded, with plans to expand across Nigeria and eventually into other African countries.

He added: “We believe that our children, just as we see them as the hope of tomorrow, must also be properly educated on the need to be environmentally conscious. That is why we started the Sustainable Environment and Education Clubs, which we call SEE Clubs, across schools in the FCT.

Those trees will be planted on roads and within communities. Between now and 2030, we are confident of planting close to 10 million trees through this approach.”

Over 20 schools in the FCT took part in the event, where students collectively raised more than 3,000 seedlings and planted nearly 1,500 trees.

Outstanding participants were rewarded with cash prizes and scholarships. The top-performing school received N1 million to expand its green projects, while teachers and six students were also honoured.

Representative of the Ministry of Environment, Augustine Iloka, praised the initiative as timely. “Trees are the lungs of our planet. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, prevent erosion, and secure livelihoods.

“For Nigeria, planting 10 million trees by 2030 is not a dream but a mission. If every Nigerian plants just one tree each year, we will surpass this target,” he said, pledging the ministry’s support for the initiative.