- …urges youth to “go green today for a greener tomorrow”
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Friday inaugurated the Environment Club and the Environment Society, calling on young Nigerians to take the lead in safeguarding the nation’s future through environmental responsibility and climate action.
Speaking at the national launch held at the State House, Abuja, Senator Tinubu said the initiative was designed to build a generation of environmentally conscious citizens, equipped to promote sustainability in their schools, communities, and tertiary institutions.
She opened her remarks by praising young voices in the climate movement, singling out Senior Secondary School 3 student, Esther Abraham of Government Senior Secondary School, Mabushi, for her evocative poem on environmental protection.
“From Esther, I see the passion and the love. When she recited, I saw a woman in love with the environment. It was like a message of love. I look forward to working with you all in the future, by the grace of God”, the First Lady said.
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The First Lady presented membership kits to selected students, noting that the cards, handbooks, and tools were practical instruments to aid their new roles.
“To the glory of God and the benefit of humanity, we are giving you your working tools,” she said.
Reflecting on her own background, the First Lady said her training in educational biology and experience teaching environmental sanitation shaped her deep-rooted affinity for nature.
“My love for plants inspired me in my studies. Young people are the right ambassadors to drive this programme we launch today”, she said.
She outlined the objectives of the new clubs: promoting environmental preservation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management, and fostering eco-friendly mindsets among young Nigerians.
The club and society, she said, will also encourage innovation, alternative livelihoods, and green entrepreneurship.
Her rallying motto, “Go Green Today for a Greener Tomorrow”, echoed throughout the hall as she described the clubs’ responsibilities.
For secondary school clubs, this includes maintaining clean school environments, recycling, tree planting, discouraging plastic use, and championing climate awareness.
University-based Environment Societies, she said, will lead shoreline clean-ups, reforestation drives, and campus-wide advocacy on sustainable practices.
Mrs. Tinubu said the initiative aligns fully with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises environmental sustainability, inclusive growth, and youth empowerment.
She also commended the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, and his team for their work, adding a call to governors’ wives to support environmental commissioners across the states.
She also acknowledged teachers, principals, and university administrators as essential mentors for the clubs’ long-term impact.
Urging states to establish chapters nationwide, the First Lady charged students to take ownership of the movement, “You are the key champions of this cause. Be creative, be bold, and lead with purpose. The future is green if we make it so.”
Declaring the initiative open, she said: “I hereby officially launch the Environment Club Nigeria and the Environment Society Nigeria, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Environment and State Commissioners of Environment, to the glory of God and the benefit of mankind.”
Earlier, Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal highlighted the urgent need to involve young Nigerians in addressing environmental challenges.
He warned that Nigeria faces a severe waste management crisis driven by inadequate infrastructure, weak enforcement, and widespread poor disposal practices, resulting in pollution, public health risks, and environmental degradation.
He stressed the importance of environmental education, noting that limited access to structured learning contributes to harmful habits such as indiscriminate littering and open burning.
He said the clubs would focus on advocacy, climate adaptation, circular economy practices, disaster risk reduction, and natural resource management.
The government, he added, would support the movement with uniforms, tools, and logistics.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, affirmed the organisation’s strong backing for the initiative, describing the launch as “a movement led by young people, powered by their ideas, their energy and their imagination.”
Addressing the First Lady, Attafuah said the UNDP was honoured to partner with Nigeria on an initiative that puts young people and the planet “at the centre of national development.”
She noted that climate change was reshaping lives globally through floods, heat waves, degraded ecosystems, and disrupted food systems, but stressed that young Nigerians were already stepping forward with solutions.
“These clubs will become innovation hubs, where young people can turn plastic waste into useful products, design clean energy ideas, nurture green campuses, run climate campaigns, and apply technology to environmental challenges”, she said.
Attafuah also announced the establishment of “university courts,” spaces supported by the federal government and UNDP, where students can turn ideas into prototypes, prototypes into businesses, and businesses into industries.
She urged students to work in teams to develop solutions for green jobs, clean technologies, and resilient communities, adding that the UNDP’s integrated Smart State Programme would continue to support environmental education and youth empowerment across the states.
“Young people, your creativity is bold, your voices are powerful, and your leadership begins now,” she said, calling on them to envision a Nigeria where “every school is a green school” and environmental consciousness becomes part of daily life.
“The movement starts today,” she concluded.