Managing climate change studies in the Nigerian educational system

Abstract

The paper proposed the management of climate change studies in the Nigerian education system. It observed that though climate change has been an issue of global discourse for quite a long time; Nigeria appeared not to have taken appropriate policy measures (including climate change eudaction) to manage its negative impact on the nation. The paper reviewed global trends in combating and negative impacts of climate change. Nigeria must respond to the change in climate by introducing relevant policies including studies in climate to educate the populace on its adverse impact and how the public and private sectors can cooperate to fight the negative impact of the scourage. The paper further discussed the challenges confronting climate change management in Nigeria that includes: illiteracy of the populace, mass poverty of Nigerians, poor planning by government to manage the adverse effect of climate change, poor implementation of environmental laws and plans, unwillingness to adopt change strategy and failure to understand the effect of climate change. The paper concluded that Nigeria needs to address these challenges, by introducing at least a curriculum on climate change to respectively educate and prepare the nation on climate change, to control and manage its negative impact frontally. The proposed curriculum should address the change with respect to its effect on the educational, natural, health, political, social and economic areas of our national life. Finally the paper suggested that a climate change commission be establish to formulate and implement policy for mass eduaction of the populace through public enlightenment as well providing funds for the control and management of climate change in Nigeria.