NIGERIAN ELECTED 1ST AFRICAN GLOBAL PRESIDENT OF UNEP INITIATIVE
NIGERIAN ELECTED 1ST AFRICAN GLOBAL PRESIDENT OF UNEP INITIATIVE
In a world that’s increasingly
oblivious to the grave havoc it is wreaking on its environment, 14-year-old
EyiloreOluwa Omigbodun has made it his passion and mission to protect the
planet. He was recently provided with the opportunity, when he was elected as
the first African to be world president of the Children’s Board of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) initiative known as Plant-for-the-planet.
The
plant-for-the-planet initiative, Plant-for-the-Planet is a global movement with
an ambitious goal: to fight the climate crisis by planting trees around the
world. The idea was birthed by nine-year-old Felix Finkbeiner in 2007, who was
inspired by Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman that planted 30 million trees in
Africa in 30 years. The vision of the group centres on the notion that children
and youths could plant one million trees in every country on earth and thereby
offset carbon dioxide emissions all on their own, while adults are still
talking about doing it. Armed with this vision, the initiative, with support
from the UNEP, spread its message to all countries in the world and to the
doorsteps of Omigbodun’s school in Osogbo, Osun State, where he was inspired to
join the noble cause of preserving his future and that of other children by
protecting the planet.
Burdened
by the need to effect change on the planet by whatever means possible, he not
only joined the movement but contested for position of global president. His
conviction in vying for this position was hinged on the fact that Nigeria and
indeed Africa, needs to be in the fore in the fight for environmental
sustainability.
“Fossil
fuels (coal, crude oil, natural gas) are major earth resources being plundered
ruthlessly and unsustainably, resulting in dire and adverse changes to our
climate everywhere on earth. It is not news that these fuels are the main-stay
of many developing economies of the world today. There is no nation on earth
that wants to remain poor and undeveloped. Many African economies are doing all
they can to tackle poverty and climb out of the quagmire of underdevelopment.
Such economies end up joining the so-called developed countries in the
unsustainable plundering of fossil fuels for industrialization and the
attendant pollution of the atmosphere with carbon dioxide (CO2).
The
continuous emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases increase the temperature
of the earth and cause the “Greenhouse effect” which is in turn responsible for
global warming.
“We
must not play the ostrich and pretend that the effects of global warming will
go away somehow even when we continue with our ‘business-as-usual’ consumption
patterns. The fact remains that world population growth with its increasing
industrial activities will adversely tax the environment creating a climate
crisis with disastrous consequences. Climate change is a phenomenon the world
must pay attention to more than ever before,” he said.
His
passion for climate change advocacy and action also led to his active
membership with ANGELSNet, an affiliate of an non-governmental organization
(NGO) simply called ANGELS Foundation that grooms agents for Nigerian Good
Environment and Living Standards, where he emerged general secretary, vice
president and acting president of Youth Network of Angels for Nigerian Good
Environmental Living Standards, (ANGELS Network) at different times.
With
this fervor and passion, it’s no wonder he was elected president. Speaking with
Saturday Tribune, he said that his announcement as president was an
exhilarating experience. “I felt happy and very excited because I’ve been given
an opportunity to help the world, especially as an African. We must recognise
that the unity of humanity against climate change or global warming must
transcend the sovereignty of state-economies,” he stated.
In
the next one year of his tenure, Omigbodun plans to create massive awareness
campaign on environmental sustainability, climate justice and the role of tree
planting in mitigating the climate crisis. This would begin in schools in
Nigeria, where students and pupils would be encouraged to plant at least ten trees
each. “I’ll be going around schools in the country, mostly in the South West.
Unfortunately, I can’t go to the north presently, even though this is where we
have issues of deforestation. Students need to stop talking and start planting.
This initiative is simple but profound and is not just a youth idea. It is for
all age-groups of the society. Everyone should take on an environmental
sustainability project,” he said.
Inspired
by Wangari Maathai; his Mexican vice global president who planted over 500,000
trees alongside other Mexicans and the project initiator, Felix Finkbeiner,
Omigbodun wants to be remembered as the first African president that made a
difference. “There is a misconception that Africans are all about money and are
corrupt, but I want to show that there’s more to Africa than these vices. I
want to bring opportunities to Africa,” he posits.
Omigbodun
believes students can really make a difference. The Senior Secondary (SS) 2
student of Olive Branches Middle and High School, Osogbo, Osun State, said,
“Over the last eight years, the initiative has seen to the planting of more
than 12.6 billion trees” and he’s positive that the ultimate goal of 1,000
billion trees by 2020 can be realised.
Though
his being president over the affairs of the Children’s Board of this global
organisation is a huge responsibility, Omigbodun is confident that it wouldn’t
disrupt his academic activities.
He
hopes to study Architecture and specialise in landscaping. His dream
university? The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State. “I think
it’s one of the best universities around my immediate environment,” he gushes.
When
Omigbodun is not saving the planet, he’s actively involved in sports and essay
writings. As a young writer, he has participated in several local and
international essay competitions, getting an honorary mention or listing for
some, out rightly winning with distinction in others, and ultimately getting
his works published in a few cases. Some of his awards include an honourable
Mention for the ‘Distressed Children and Infants –DCI’ 2013 Child Rights Essay
Competition organised by Yale University, United States of America; publication
of the poem “A Mother’s Joy” in Beyond Limits - Anthology of Short Stories and
Poems, compiled and published by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA),
from entries of winners in their 2013 Essay and Poems Competition and
publication of a story “Our Girls” in Short Stories By Teens – Societal Values
Series 1, produced by Pen Publishers, Nigeria, 2015.
In
the field of sports, some of his recognitions and awards include gold medal
awarded during 2011 Olive Branches Schools Inter-House sports for swimming
representing Ruby House; bronze medal (Third Position) in Relay Race
representing the Ruby House at the 2015 Olive Branches Schools Inter-House
Sports and Runner up to most Outstanding Pupil in 2006/2007 Academic
Session at Olive Branches Schools.
His
biggest fans are his parents who he says are “very supportive and encouraged me
all the way.”
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