The Young Climate Heroes – Babajide Oluwase
For a long time, Nigeria’s environmental condition has witnessed a drastic change in temperature, climatic patterns, and weather conditions. These conditions have been intensified by human-induced activities like poor waste management, eco-illiteracy, deforestation, and open-air burning. Rather than complain about the issue, Babajide Oluwase would choose to do otherwise. His interest in environmental advocacy stemmed from various environmental activities involved as an advocate right from his high school days.
“The journey started during my secondary school days back in 2008. I was inducted as one of the carefully-chosen inaugural members of the Climate Change Club (CCC) in Lagos, a signature project of former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, says Babajide. “Engagement with this group helped me realize the impact of global warming and climate change on humans and the environment”
As a teenager then, he was consumed by an urgent fear as well as the urge to do everything possible to increase awareness and reduce the negative impact of climate change so that every stakeholder (individuals, government and businesses) know the role they must play to save the environment.
Since 2012, Babajide has actively worked with over a dozen environmentalists to sensitize different stakeholder groups about climate change using observable examples around as teaching tools. He however, continued to experience setbacks especially as it concerned stepping down this knowledge in ways that children would effectively understand and appreciate it. He knew he had to do something about getting the next generation involved in this cause.
In 2016, Babajide published a book titled “Young Climate Heroes” using story and comical illustration to simplify technical terms underlying climate change, to enable children easily understand. In the words of 7 year old Gloria who read the book, “I adore Young Climate Heroes because I have learnt about making the world healthy by recycling our garbage to something useful”. This reaffirms one’s conviction on the need to educate the next generation about climate change.
Remarkably, over 6000 secondary school students have been educated through this book in the last two years. To sustain the impact accomplished and replicate the gains of the book across various Nigerian communities, Babajide is working with other environmental advocates to start a ”Green Heroes Club” in secondary schools. The aim is to identify and empower interested students and teachers to start and sustain environmental projects in schools and communities.
Catching Them Young is one of the best ways to achieve a sustainable environment in communities as young people are in the best position to drive a real movement towards sustainability. Babajide has proven that local problems are best solved locally. Rather than complain, you can decide to proffer solution to just one problem faced in your community today. His plan is to continue to strengthen engagement with the public on various environmental issues and to be the voice leading positive change in this space in decades to come.
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