By Elvira Jordan
Renowned environmentalist Rev. Dr. Nnimmo Bassey has called for a stronger, action-oriented approach to environmental education in Nigeria, urging citizens and institutions to move beyond awareness campaigns to practical measures capable of addressing the country’s growing ecological crisis.
Bassey made the call at the Environmental Education Summit held on August 4, 2026, at the Faculty of Education Auditorium of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The summit, organised by the Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Studies and Development (We the People), was themed “From Literacy to Action: Developing a Blueprint to Strengthen Environmental Education for Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Nigeria.”
The environmentalist stressed that environmental literacy should empower citizens to distinguish genuine solutions from approaches that merely commercialise environmental crises. He also advocated stronger community-based learning, preservation of indigenous ecological knowledge and practical responses to decades of environmental degradation, particularly in the Niger Delta.
The summit brought together academics, environmental experts, policymakers, development practitioners, civil society organisations, students, youth leaders and indigenous knowledge holders to examine the role of education in achieving environmental sustainability.
Participants identified pollution, biodiversity loss, climate change, deforestation, flooding, coastal degradation and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources as major environmental challenges confronting Nigeria.
They also observed that environmental education remains inadequate across formal, non-formal and informal learning systems, creating a significant gap between environmental knowledge and practical action.
Professor Babatunde Bolaji Benard, another speaker at the summit, described environmental education as a critical bridge between awareness and responsible action. He advocated the incorporation of traditional conservation practices, circular resource use and responsible stewardship of biodiversity into environmental learning.
Professor Moses Inyang-Abia presented a strategic roadmap for strengthening environmental education through evidence-based teaching approaches, including atmospheric, biological, ecological, forest, hydro and lithospheric pedagogies. He also proposed a national curriculum framework that would link environmental education directly to sustainable development outcomes.
Participants emphasised the importance of indigenous knowledge in addressing environmental challenges, noting that traditional environmental management practices should be documented, preserved and integrated into contemporary education.
The summit further stressed that environmental sustainability requires collective responsibility involving governments, academic institutions, communities, civil society organisations, the private sector, women, youths and development partners.
At the end of the deliberations, participants resolved to make environmental education a national development priority and develop a practical blueprint connecting environmental learning with measurable environmental action.
They also called for stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions, government agencies, civil society organisations and communities to ensure that research findings are translated into policies and practical interventions.
The summit recommended increased investment in youth leadership and women’s participation in environmental governance and climate action, alongside greater emphasis on biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management and ecosystem restoration.
The organisers also called on the Federal and state governments to prioritise environmental education in education and environmental policies and provide adequate funding for its implementation.
Educational institutions were urged to mainstream environmental sustainability across their curricula, promote experiential learning and community engagement, and consider establishing dedicated environmental education departments to develop the manpower needed to address Nigeria’s environmental challenges.
The summit concluded that Nigeria could no longer rely solely on policy declarations and academic discussions to address its environmental crisis. Participants maintained that the country needed to move from environmental literacy to action, with communities and citizens equipped to translate knowledge into practical measures that protect ecosystems and promote sustainable development.
