Adapt Africa - Net Zero Mindshift Program

• Information

  Adapt Africa - Net Zero Mindshift Program - Information

  Matched Team	Team 2
  Name	SALAWU AHMED	Country	Nigeria
  Scholarship	KOICA	Email Address	mesalawu@gmail.com
  Year	2022	Program	MDP
  Workplace Category	Government	Workplace	Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)
  Department	Policy, Planning, Research & Statistics	Position	Program Analyst

• Brief intro of project

  Adapt Africa - Net Zero Mindshift Program - Brief intro of project

  Title	Adapt Africa - Net Zero Mindshift Program
  Sustainable Development Goals	13. Climate Action
  Timely Global Issues	5. Exchange of Knowledge and Culture
  Sub-topic that describes project	Education
  Summary of your project	Adapt Africa – Net-Zero Mindshift Program is a transformative initiative aimed at addressing the critical impacts of climate change on education and livelihoods in Northern Nigeria, where children constitute over 50% of the population and represent the majority in the region. These areas, located at the southern boundary of the Sahel, face some of the most severe climate challenges, including extreme temperatures, erratic rainfall, and frequent flooding. These conditions not only disrupt educational activities but also destroy infrastructure and heighten the vulnerability of children, over 10 million of whom are already out of school, representing more than 60% of the nation’s out-of-school population. Despite government efforts, such as cash grants and the provision of school supplies, these measures provide only temporary relief and fail to address the root causes of educational disruption. Tackling climate change and its cascading effects requires a bottom-up approach that empowers affected communities with knowledge and practical skills. Those impacted need to understand the underlying causes of climate-related occurrences to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, but if left unaddressed, these children will continuously be affected by this crisis, displacing millions and making these children easy targets for recruitment by armed bandits and extremist groups. Adapt Africa seeks to bridge this critical gap by equipping primary and high school students with the knowledge, skills, and leadership capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate impacts. Its objectives include cultivating climate awareness, developing a localized climate literacy curriculum, fostering green entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable waste management, and transforming school environments into low-waste, climate-conscious communities. Through activities such as climate literacy workshops, Environmental Change Clubs (ECCs), and green entrepreneurship training, the program will engage 15 schools, training 1,000 students and 100 teachers. It will distribute 2,000 climate literacy booklets and establish systems to promote waste recycling and environmental stewardship. These efforts aim to create resilient communities, empower youth to pursue green careers, and prevent their exploitation by negative forces. International support is critical to scaling these impactful efforts and securing a sustainable future for Africa’s most vulnerable populations.

• Alumni or organization want to cooperate with

  Adapt Africa - Net Zero Mindshift Program - Alumni or organization want to cooperate with

  Specific alumni in mind
  Specific nationality of the alumni in mind	Africa and the Carribbean
  Specific organization(s) / workplace(s) in mind	Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Korea Development Institute
  Specific work position(s) in mind	1. Climate Educator 2. Entrepreneurship Trainers 3. Agricultural Expert

• Details of Cooperation Project

  Adapt Africa - Net Zero Mindshift Program - Details of Cooperation Project

  Objective of the Project	The primary objectives of the program are: 1. To cultivate climate consciousness and environmental stewardship among students in public schools through practical, hands-on education. 2. To develop a comprehensive climate literacy curriculum that integrates local knowledge with global best practices in environmental education. 3. To foster green entrepreneurship skills and awareness of climate-related career opportunities among students. 4. To foster waste management practices among marginalized communities. 5. To introduce strategies for making the school environment into a low waste and green community.
  Expected Benefits from the Project	1. Students and educators in participating schools will demonstrate a stronger understanding of climate change, its impacts, and actionable solutions, fostering a climate-conscious mindset across communities. 2. Adoption of sustainable waste disposal habits and behaviours and improving cleanliness and hygiene standards in the school premises and by extension the communities. 3. Students develop entrepreneurial skills in green technologies and sustainable practices, increasing their employability and inspiring them to pursue climate-friendly careers. 4. Students take active leadership roles in environmental clubs, driving initiatives such as tree planting, renewable energy projects, and awareness campaigns, contributing to long-term environmental sustainability. 5. Empowerment of students to become advocates for environmental conservation and sustainability in their communities. 6. Long-term impact on public health and environmental sustainability through the promotion of responsible waste management practices.
  Anything you would like to inform the potential partner	To ensure the program achieves lasting impact, the following sustainability strategies will be integrated into the program design and implementation: 1. Develop a train-the-trainer model, where trained teachers and leaders can further train others, ensuring continuity and scalability. 2. Establish the roles of a 'Green Prefect' and 'Green Teacher' who will lead sustainable practices within the school community, empowering students to take on these leadership positions and continue driving change even after the project concludes. 3. Facilitating the collection and sale of plastic and paper waste to recyclers, generating funds to support the activities of the student-led environmental club and ensure the availability of resources for maintaining and replacing waste bins as needed. 4. Develop and distribute digital and print climate literacy resources (e.g., booklets, training manuals, and videos) that schools and communities can continue to use beyond the program duration. 5. Introduce low-cost renewable energy solutions (e.g., solar panels) in schools, reducing reliance on unsustainable energy sources and serving as a practical demonstration of climate solutions.