Nigerian youth environment advocate, Esther Agbarakwe, was on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain decorated with the Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders of Tomorrow Award for her outstanding professional achievement in leadership experience in governance.
She was one of the three Nigerians that bagged the prestigious award during a ceremony to close the Crans Montana International Conference on Youth and Sport. The others Nigerians are: Aminu Waziri Mohammed and Usman Muhammad.
“Providing citizens especially young people with access to correct information on environmental issues helps government better engage with it citizens and this is something I am passionate about because when citizen are informed, they are empowered and governance becomes effective,” Ms. Agbarakwe told EnviroNews in an emailed message.
She added: “I dedicate the award to the Minister of State, Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril and former Minister, Amina J Mohammed (currently the Deputy UN Secretary General) for giving me the unique opportunity to serve the country along side other young people they invited to join them. I consider myself really blessed and I hope that this Award inspire many young people in government and non-government to rise up and do their work effectively.”
Ms. Agbarakwe founded the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition (NYCC) after returning from Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 2009, where she led the Nigerian youth delegation. She has worked with remarkable leaders like Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland, among several others, to advocate for meaningful involvement and participation of youth in development especially in the formulation and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Fondly called “Estherclimate” by her peers, Ms. Agbarakwe is also co-founder of Climate Wednesday, a noteable youth platform on environment issues that seeks to build a climate generation across Africa. She currently works as Special Assistant on Communications and Stakeholder’s Engagement to Environment Minister of State, Ibrahim Usman Jibril
According to her, she will use the experience and networking opportunities she has gained through the Crans Montana Forum to impact the Nigerian society in a positive and transformative way.
The Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders for Tomorrow is a unique Community of young leaders from Africa, the Arab World, Far Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South America and Far East selected thanks to their exceptional professional achievement and leadership experience in Businesses and Governments.
The New Leaders for Tomorrow enjoy, for a three years period, the free strong support of the Crans Montana Forum to strengthen their Regional and International network in the framework of the South-South Cooperation that the Forum has continuously promoted as a key tool of a renewed international dialogue fostering the South-South Belt Countries’ recognition worldwide.
