The Centre for Climate Change Development (CCCD) at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State, Nigeria, in collaboration with Sustainable Development Centre, University of Abuja, has concluded plans to announce the top three winners of the second essay competition on climate change recently organised by the Centre.
The second essay competition, titled “Climate Change and Nigeria’s Economic Development: A Letter to Mr. Incoming President”, was rolled out in a bid to engage young Nigerians in setting climate change agenda to whoever emerges the President of the country after the 2023 general election and to create massive awareness on climate change effects in the country.
The top three winners will be announced during a hybrid award ceremony event that will take place on Wednesday, February, 15, 2023, at Events Hall, ASUU Researchers Chalets, University of Abuja Main Campus.
Speaking on the forthcoming award event, the Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, stated that he would be delighted to host an award ceremony where national and international audience and experts gather to witness the announcement of the top three winners of the recently organised second essay competition by the Centre.
He observed that the physical award event became necessary due to the quality of essays submitted by all the participants especially the top 10 shortlist and need to give wider publicity to the national and international audience and this, he added, can be achieved through an event organised to display and celebrate the excellent submissions from the contestants and to announce the top three winners to the global audience.
Prof. Okereke also noted that aside from giving the candidates national and international visibility, the hybrid event would serve as a medium for engaging the young people on climate discourse and also set a climate change agenda for the next President of Nigeria.
The event, which will feature a panel session for the youth leaders of the three main political parties, the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)and the Labour Party (LP) to engage the audience on the policies of their parties on climate change issues and what they intend to do if elected, has the Minister for Environment, Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi; the Director General, National Council on Climate Change, Dr. Salishu Dahiru; and the Director, Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, as special guests of honour, while Dr. Eugene Itua, the CEO ECO Natural Capital, and Sam Onuigbo, former Chairman, House of Representative Committee on Climate Change, as guests of honour.
The top three winners will be decided from a list of 10 shortlisted participants after a rigorous and tedious assessment of over 300 entries by a panel of 10 judges and they will go home with N200,000, N150,000 and N100,000 respectively.
Adenipekun Margaret, Obiorah Victor Chibuzor, Alidor, Jonah Bonaventure, Udu, Ugochi Favour, James Afomare Owan, Kokole John Akpotubebebo, Nwadike Obioha Samuel, Israel Oghenefejiro Orere, and Promise C. Okwuchukwu make of the list of top 10 shortlist.
It will be recalled that CCCD AE-FUNAI had on October 2022 launched its second essay competition entitled “Climate Change and Nigeria’s Economic Development: A Letter to Mr. Incoming President” which is geared towards increasing public awareness of, and youth engagement with climate change issues in Nigeria, and to set climate change agenda for the incoming government to pursue climate change ambition and action towards achieving 2060 net zero target.
By Chinedu Jude Nwasum, Communications Officer, CCCD AE-FUNAI
