Sparking Change: Youth Voices can Revolutionise Climate-Health Policy Advocacy
Anwuli Nwankwo and Christopher Bassey (Lead Writer)
One hot night in March, I woke up drenched in sweat, my bed soaked, the heat in Abuja almost unbearable. Despite my windows being wide-open and my standing fan on full blast, I could not to fall back asleep. As I lay there, I could not help but wonder how others were coping with the intense heat, especially pregnant women and young children who were far more vulnerable to extreme heat.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a 1% rise in temperature during the week leading up to childbirth can increase the risk of stillbirth by 6%.
In March 2025, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) reported a rise in temperature above 40°C, accompanied by high humidity. Cities such as Birnin Kebbi, Jalingo, Yola, Lafia, Minna, and Makurdi recorded temperatures as high as 42 °C. This extreme heat poses significant risks, including increased incidence of heart disease and hypertension, in addition to increased cases of childhood asthma and pneumonia. Studies indicate that for every 1°C increase in temperature during pregnancy, the risk of childhood pneumonia rises by up to 85%.
Effects of extreme heat on pregnant women and children
The impact of heat during pregnancy can affect the unborn child through several pathways. These include compromising the mother’s health by exacerbating conditions such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, which in turn impacts fetal development, particularly the nervous system, and may even alter the baby’s DNA. These changes may occur through changes in the epigenetic signature, a mechanism that enables the body to rapidly adapt to environmental changes by activating or turning off specific genes.
Extreme heat can overwhelm pregnant women’s ability to regulate their temperature, particularly during labour, placing them at increased risk. They are more susceptible to dehydration, which can trigger uterine contractions and potentially increase the likelihood of preterm labour, especially in the later stages of pregnancy. Extreme heat can also disrupt hormonal balance and impair placental function. These conditions increase the risk of complications such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, premature birth, and stillbirth. In addition, high temperatures can cause heat strokes and dehydration-induced diarrhoea, particularly in children under the age of five.
Youths for Climate Action
The Youth for Climate Action platform was established following the 2024 Youth Pre-conference themed ‘Amplifying Youth Voices for Climate-Health Action’ which marked the beginning of the 10th Anniversary of the Future of Health Conference. The milestone edition, themed ‘From Evidence to Action: Building Resilience at the Climate-Health Nexus’ set the stage for this youth-led initiative. The platform brings together young professionals from diverse professional backgrounds, united by a shared objective to inspire, equip and connect a network of changemakers committed to driving innovative solutions across the continent, tackling climate-health challenges. It represents a powerful youth voice advocating for a healthier and more sustainable future for Africa.
In response to the rising temperatures, Youth4ClimateAction engaged in a wide discussion on their platform to explore possible solutions. Solutions that emerged from this discussion included halting deforestation and promoting widespread awareness about tree planting, particularly in residential areas.
Protecting and restoring forests plays a vital role in addressing climate change, as forests act as one of the planet’s most powerful natural climate regulators. Trees absorb carbon dioxide ‘a major greenhouse gas’ from the atmosphere and store it, making forests an essential carbon sink reducing heat. When forests are degraded, not only is this carbon storage capacity lost, but vast amounts of stored carbon are also released back into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming. In the broader climate context, restoring degraded forests and halting deforestation is also a cost-effective, scalable solution that complements efforts to reduce emissions from other sectors.
According to the State of the World’s Forests report, halting deforestation is one of the most cost-effective strategies for mitigating climate change. Countries including the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Ghana, and Rwanda have made commitments to end deforestation as part of their climate action efforts.
Emphasising the need to integrate climate change education into primary and secondary school curricula, the group members recognised that since children are the future of the country, mitigation and adaptation mechanisms should be taught in schools. Other countries, including Malawi, South Africa, and Ghana, have integrated climate change into their educational system.
Furthermore, the group members emphasised the critical need for greater youth involvement in Nigerian politics to shape climate policies, highlighting that young people, who are both disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts and uniquely positioned to drive solutions due to their demographic majority, must play a central role in decision-making processes.
Group members also highlighted the importance of raising awareness at the grassroots level about the effects of climate change on health, the environment, and maternal and child well-being.
Climate education as a catalyst for action
The Youth4ClimateAction discussion ended with some questions: how can these suggested solutions be incorporated into the climate change policies of the country, and how can the government ensure these policies are implemented and sustained?
They raised these questions with a government climate representative, who highlighted the importance of incorporating Climate Change Education (CCE) in primary and secondary schools’ curricula, as well as university courses, as a vital strategy towards driving citizen participation in climate action and mitigating its impact. He also noted that organisations such as UNICEF support this approach.
The government climate representative also emphasised that the Department of Climate Change, under the Federal Ministry of Environment in Nigeria, has established an Education, Awareness, and Outreach Division with the mandate to conduct public climate education and coordinate with other agencies, such as the Federal Ministry of Education, to implement climate change education initiatives. Furthermore, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan Framework provide a good glimpse into the government’s vision for enhancing climate action, including curbing carbon emissions nationally.
Education clarifies and addresses the impact of global warming, increasing climate literacy, encouraging changes in attitudes and behaviours among young people, and helping them in adapting to climate change related trends. Similarly, Climate Change Education is particularly important in emphasising the direct impacts of climate change on maternal health outcomes.
Incorporating youth voices in climate policies
While the government is working to improve awareness on climate change and its direct effects on health, there is still some way to go, especially in terms of ensuring that youth voices, experiences, and perspectives are captured in these discussions.
The extent to which adolescents and youth can relate to and engage with existing climate change policies varies. Many young people are unaware of the direct implications of climate change on their health, highlighting a disconnect between policy formulation and youth involvement.
Enhancing youth participation in climate change policy development and ensuring that these policies address their specific needs can bridge this gap. Moreso, enhancing youth participation in climate change policy development can have a significant indirect yet powerful impact on improving climate-related outcomes for vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women.
To truly move from policy to action, government efforts must be complemented by the lived experiences, innovation, and energy of communities, especially the youth. Bridging the gap between policy formulation and grassroots realities requires deliberate and sustained collaboration.
Only through such intergenerational cooperation and shared accountability can we build resilient systems that protect the most vulnerable — pregnant women, children, and future generations — and secure a healthier, climate-conscious Nigeria.
Additional Contribution from Youth4ClimateAction group members: Mary Ijeoma Okwor, Isaac Joshua, Ogechukwu Akabuike, Ebuka Okonkwo, Usman Abubakar Ibrahim, Abdulsalam Mohammed Egye, Yusuf Hassan Wada, Ozioma Obidiagwu, Chinelo Cynthia Ezenwafor and Bridget Ebikeseiye Pinaowei-Macauley.
