Category: SPA II

Climate action in Southeast Nigeria is gaining powerful momentum as young leaders step forward to shape solutions for a fairer and more sustainable future. This growing movement was on full display in Enugu, where passionate young changemakers from across the region gathered to turn climate conversations into real, community-driven action.

Young leaders from Enugu, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo States convened for the 2025 South-East Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Nigeria, themed “Accelerating Action for a Just Transition.” The energy in the room showed determination, creativity, and a readiness to lead.

Hosted by South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) with support from ActionAid Nigeria under the SPA II Project, the conference created a space where youth voices were not just heard, but centered. Participants explored what a “just transition” truly means for communities in the Southeast as a lived reality shaped by local challenges.

For many of the young people present, climate change is not an abstract issue. It is visible in flooding that disrupts livelihoods, extreme heat affecting health, and changing weather patterns that threaten food security. These lived experiences shaped rich discussions on how climate solutions must protect vulnerable communities, create green opportunities for youth, and ensure no one is left behind in the transition to cleaner energy and sustainable practices.

A major highlight of the gathering was the development of a Community Climate Action Plan. This plan reflects the priorities, ideas, and solutions proposed by young people who understand both the risks their communities face and the potential for transformation. From promoting climate education and tree planting to advocating for sustainable agriculture and waste management, the action points were practical, community-centered, and achievable.

Importantly, the outcomes of the conference will not remain local. The Community Climate Action Plan will feed into Nigeria’s National Youth Statement for COP30, ensuring that the perspectives of young people from the Southeast contribute to global climate conversations. This connection between grassroots action and international advocacy shows how local voices can influence wider policy spaces.

Beyond policy influence, the conference strengthened networks among youth advocates, climate groups, and community leaders. Many participants left with new partnerships and a shared commitment to continue climate action beyond the event. The sense of solidarity was clear. Young people are no longer waiting to be invited into decision-making spaces. They are creating their own platforms and driving change from the ground up.

The role of SSDO in convening this space reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting youth leadership and community-driven development. By providing opportunities for young people to organize, learn, and collaborate, SSDO is helping to build a generation of leaders ready to respond to today’s challenges with courage and innovation.

As the world prepares for COP30, the voices rising from Southeast Nigeria send the strong message that young people are not just future leaders, they are leaders right now. Their ideas, actions, and determination are shaping a transition that is not only green, but fair and inclusive.

The movement growing across the Southeast proves that when young people are trusted, supported, and heard, they can drive meaningful change that reaches far beyond their communities.

As part of the Global Week of Climate Action, South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) joined voices with young people, community leaders, and local advocates to call for urgent climate action in Enugu.

With colourful placards and passionate voices, young people, women, and community leaders joined SSDO and partners on the streets of Enugu to demand stronger local and national action against the climate crisis.

Walking for the Planet, Speaking for Our Communities

Our team took to the streets to highlight the urgent need for stronger local and national responses to the climate crisis. The rally created space for voices that are often unheard who live the reality of environmental degradation every day.

The Human Face of the Climate Crisis

For communities across Nigeria, climate change is no longer an abstract conversation. It is the flood that sweeps through farmlands, the heat that scorches crops, and the unpredictable rains that threaten livelihoods. These are not distant problems; they are local realities that require urgent, people-centered solutions.

Our march was a reminder that addressing the climate crisis is not just about policy but about people. It is about protecting homes, securing food systems, and ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind.

From Awareness to Action: On Air and On the Ground

To deepen public engagement, SSDO also took the conversation to the airwaves. We went live on Solid FM 100.9, where our team shared stories, insights, and community-driven solutions for a greener, safer Enugu. The discussion amplified voices from the streets to homes across the state, reminding everyone that the fight against climate change belongs to all of us.

Our commitment goes beyond one week of global action. Through continued advocacy, education, and community mobilisation, SSDO remains steadfast in promoting inclusive climate governance that protects people and the planet.

Because when we stand together in the streets, in schools, and even on the airwaves, real change begins.

On 21st August 2025, a new chapter opened for young people in Enugu State as the government formally launched the Enugu State Youth Policy – a blueprint designed to put youth at the heart of governance, innovation, and development.

A Collective Journey

This policy was not written behind closed doors. It was birthed through a participatory process that brought together government, civil society, and young people themselves.

South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), with funding support from ActionAid Nigeria under the SPA II Project, walked alongside the process from start to finish:

• Formation of the Technical Working Group (TWG)
• Stakeholder consultations across communities
• Policy drafting with inputs from diverse voices
• Final validation and adoption by the State

Every step reflected the power of inclusion, and the belief that when youth are meaningfully engaged, policies speak to real needs.

Why It Matters

The Youth Policy is more than a document. It is a vision for education, entrepreneurship, health, governance, and social justice that prioritizes young people as active drivers of development. It also creates structures for accountability, ensuring that the voices of youth continue to shape implementation.

What Comes Next

Launching the policy is only the beginning. Implementation is key. SSDO will continue to stand with Enugu youth, pushing for resources, structures, and opportunities that make the policy a living reality, not just on paper, but in everyday lives.

Together, we are building an Enugu where young people are not just beneficiaries of development but partners and leaders in shaping it🌍✊.

At the just-concluded Senate Public Hearing on Constitutional Amendment, a new wave of civic leadership emerged as young Nigerians, mobilized under the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA II) Project, stepped forward with a clear message: We are not just asking for change, we are shaping it.

Backed by ActionAid Nigeria and supported by South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), the youth delegation submitted a powerful memo outlining their demands for a more inclusive, equitable, and participatory Nigeria.

Youth-Led Memo, Nation-Shaping Vision

The memo, which was formally presented during the hearing, calls for five key reforms that reflect the aspirations of Nigeria’s rising generation:

• Free Basic Education & Social Security: As a right, not a privilege, ensuring that no child is left behind.

• Diaspora Voting: Because every Nigerian voice, no matter where it resides, should count.

• Independent Candidacy: To open the political space beyond party structures.

• Youth Development Fund: A national mechanism to support the skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship of young people.

• Inclusive Representation: 35% quota for women and 30% for youth in all political appointments and elective offices.

These demands were not abstract ideals. They were built on community consultations, data, and lived experiences, brought to the table by youth who understand what is at stake.

SSDO and ActionAid: Strengthening Youth Advocacy

At SSDO, we are proud to partner with ActionAid Nigeria to strengthen youth advocacy platforms that go beyond protest to policy. The SPA II project is designed to amplify grassroots voices, build civic capacity, and ensure that governance is not something done to young people, but done with and by them.

As the constitutional review process continues, SSDO will keep working alongside young leaders to ensure that these voices do not fade after the hearing. The memo has been submitted, but the movement is just beginning.

This is youth-led advocacy. This is what democracy looks like.