By Promise Eze
On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, young climate advocate Tolulope T. Gbenro, in partnership with Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), organised a corp climate literacy train-the-trainers workshop for 14 corps members.
The workshop formed part of the Eco Champions Programme, supported by SOS Children’s Village Nigeria.
In her welcome remarks, Gbenro explained that the initiative was inspired by her extensive experience in climate action, as well as insights gained during her national service year in Ilorin, which shaped her commitment to strengthening climate awareness among young people.
Mr David Gabriel, National program manager at SOS Children’s Village Nigeria set the tone of the workshop by providing a powerful, ethical framing for the workshop’s mission. He linked environmental degradation directly to child rights issues, displacement, loss of education, health crises and increased vulnerability. He charged participants to be protectors, ensuring their climate work prioritizes the safety and inclusion of every child, especially the most vulnerable. This underscored the humanitarian core of climate literacy.
In his keynote address themed “Mobilising Grassroots Action,” Chika Ernest Okoli framed climate action as a people-driven, grassroots movement. He shared his journey in community mobilisation, stressing that sustainable change begins with local ownership and community buy-in.
Okoli challenged participants to see themselves as “sparks” capable of igniting action within their primary assignment communities. He encouraged the use of storytelling and local advocacy to translate climate awareness into practical initiatives, such as community gardens and grassroots waste management systems.
ToluIope T. Gbenro delivered a foundational session on climate change in Nigeria. The session clarified the science, differentiating weather from climate and explaining the greenhouse effect with simple analogies like a covered cooking pot. It provided a detailed analysis of Nigeria-specific impacts: altered Harmattan patterns, increased flooding, agricultural disruption leading to food price hikes and related health issues. The session equipped participants with facts to counter misinformation and apathy.
Ameedat Abdulsalam equipped participants with an engagement strategy. This covered cultural sensitivity, power mapping within communities to identify key influencers (religious leaders, PTA heads), and methods for co-creating solutions rather than imposing them.
Rifikatu Joseph Odeyemi delivered a hands-on methodology session. She broke down the “Learn, Simplify, Teach” model.The session included demonstrations on using flashcards, designing interactive Q&A, and managing time for effective 15–30 minute school presentations.
Dasola Adelegan provided a step-by-step guide on initiating school-based action: forming Eco-Clubs, setting up a waste sorting station with labeled bins, planning a safe community clean-up with waivers, and launching an “Adopt-a-Tree” program. The career-focused session delivered by Chizoba Nzeakor mapped the landscape of climate careers in policy, tech, finance, and communication. She provided strategic advice on skill specialization (e.g., adding GIS or carbon accounting to climate knowledge), portfolio building through documentation and professional networking to transition passion into a viable profession.
Participants Kave Blessing and Michael Onoja described the training as simplified, detailed, and empowering.
The workshop concluded with a comprehensive Programme Implementation session, which reviewed key deliverables, reporting templates, and follow-up expectations. This was accompanied by the presentation of certificates, distribution of BBYDI Climate Champs flashcards, and the announcement of schedules for follow-up virtual sessions.
The next phase of the initiative aims to empower over 400 young Nigerians through step-down trainings to be implemented by the fellows.
In her closing remarks, Mrs Halimat Olufade, Programme Director at BBYDI, urged the fellows to remain committed to the project’s next phase and to fully leverage the opportunities provided by the fellowship.
