As the climate crisis deepens in Nigeria’s South-South region, youths from the area have called for the creation of a Regional Youth Climate Fund to support innovative green projects and promote accountability through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The call was made at the end of the 2025 South-South Regional Local Conference of Youth (LCOY Nigeria), held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and organized by the Clement Isong Foundation (CIF) in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria, YOUNGO, and other partners.
With the theme “Youth at the Forefront of Climate Justice: Accelerating Action for a Just Transition,” participants lamented that despite being at the heart of climate action, young people are often excluded from key decision-making spaces. They urged both government and private sectors to move beyond rhetoric and focus on practical implementation of climate policies. The youths emphasized that climate justice is not just an environmental issue but a human rights and moral concern that requires inclusivity and intergenerational collaboration.
In a communique issued at the end of the conference, the youths demanded institutionalized youth representation in environmental policy councils and the creation of the Regional Youth Climate Fund to support grassroots initiatives. The fund, they said, would encourage youth-led solutions that focus on energy transition, green innovation, and sustainable livelihoods, using AI to enhance transparency in fund management.
The Executive Director of the Clement Isong Foundation, Elkanah Oluyori, encouraged young people to take charge of climate solutions rather than wait for inclusion. He stressed the need for courage, innovation, and leadership to drive sustainable alternatives in the region. Similarly, Dr. Caroline Gordian, Project Lead at CIF, noted that when youths are empowered with the right tools and opportunities, they become “active creators of change, not passive recipients of aid.”
Keynote Speaker and Executive Director of Policy Alert, Mr. Tijah Bolton-Akpan, called for justice-centered climate action and accountability within the fossil fuel sector. He warned against “false climate solutions” and called for transparency in climate financing and equitable participation of frontline communities. The conference concluded with a strong message that empowering South-South youths with funding, technology, and representation is vital to achieving a just and sustainable climate transition.
