The global economy is undergoing a structural shift driven by the transition toward lower-carbon and more sustainable systems. Industries are being redefined by the move toward cleaner energy systems, circular waste models, and climate-resilient infrastructure. However, the pace of this transition is exposing a fundamental gap: education and workforce systems are not evolving quickly enough to meet the demands of the green economy. In many contexts, environmental awareness is introduced without structured pathways for real-world applications. At the same time, technical skills for green industries are often developed in isolation, without early foundational exposure to sustainability thinking. The result is a fragmented pipeline, one that limits both environmental responsibility and economic participation.
According to UNESCO, 1 out of 5 young people do not feel equipped to address climate change based on what they have learned in school. The International Labour Organisation reports that the transition to a greener economy could create up to 24 million jobs globally by 2030, if supported by the right policies. In Nigeria, this gap is compounded by demographic and environmental pressures. With over 70 per cent of the population under the age of 30, the country holds immense potential. Yet, unemployment remains high, and access to practical, future-relevant skills is still uneven. At the same time, environmental challenges such as inefficient waste management and recurring flooding further highlight the need for both behavioural change and technical capacity.
The Oando Foundation is addressing this gap through a deliberate and future-looking approach that focuses not just on knowledge, but on building real capacity. At the centre of this effort are two key initiatives: the Clean Our World Project and the Green Youth Upskilling Programme.
The Clean Our World Project addresses environmental sustainability at its foundation by focusing on public primary schools, where environmental education is often limited or overly theoretical. By engaging children early, the project builds foundational knowledge while nurturing behaviours that extend beyond the classroom into homes and communities, positioning students as active champions of change. In many cases, students are introduced to environmental concepts without the practical exposure needed to translate knowledge into everyday behaviour, creating an early gap in environmental responsibility and action. COW is designed to close this gap by embedding sustainability directly into the school experience.
Delivered through a hands-on, edutainment-driven approach, the programme blends structured learning with practical, engaging activities to reinforce environmental concepts. This is implemented through school-based environmental clubs, curriculum-integrated lessons, and structured environmental best practices such as recycling, upcycling, and gardening within schools.
To date, the initiative has reached over 341,200 beneficiaries and trained 1,214 education stakeholders, including teachers, local government education authorities, and State Universal Basic Education Board officials. With implementation across over 144 public primary schools in four States (Lagos, Plateau, Delta and Abuja), COW is helping to institutionalise environmental responsibility as a lived behaviour rather than a theoretical concept.
While COW shapes climate awareness from the earliest stages of education, the Green Youth Upskilling Programme takes that awareness a step further by focusing on application. Launched in 2025, GYUP is a targeted intervention designed to equip young Nigerians with market-relevant, climate-responsive skills for the green economy. It responds directly to two intersecting challenges: youth unemployment and the growing demand for talent in emerging sustainability-driven sectors. Through structured training in areas such as renewable energy and waste management, participants are prepared not only with technical knowledge but also with the practical competencies required to operate within real industry contexts.
Participants undergo three months of foundational training followed by a three-month internship placement with organisations across key green sectors. In addition to technical training, GYUP integrates entrepreneurship development, mentorship, and business support, enabling participants to move from learning to implementation.
The impact of the programme is reflected not only in skills acquisition but in mindset transformation. Janet Ogechi Ohakwe, one of the few women in the renewable energy track, shared that before joining the program, she did not know where she fit into the climate conversation. Today, she has practical skills and a clearer direction, and she sees opportunities she had not considered before. Yunus Sodiq describes a similar shift. With the skills he has acquired, he no longer sees “a white-collar job” as the only path. Instead, he sees the possibility of building his own venture and creating value within the green economy.
The Oando Foundation’s LEARNOVATE strategy includes the “PLANET” pillar, which promotes environmental education and green skills development. Together, COW and GYUP reflect a deliberate approach to closing the gap at two critical stages—building environmental awareness early through school-based learning and equipping young people later with practical skills and entrepreneurial capacity for participation in the green economy. The result is a connected pathway that moves individuals from awareness to capability, and ultimately into opportunity within a climate-shaped future.
These initiatives also align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of quality education, decent work, and climate action.
- Uduimoh writes in from Lagos
