The newly inaugurated Man and Biosphere Youth Network Nigeria has launched efforts to promote environmental sustainability among young Nigerians through a sensitisation and training programme organised for students of Plantation High School in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The programme, held within the Omo Biosphere Reserve community, focused on educating students about biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental practices.
The Man and Biosphere Youth Network operates under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO’s, Man and the Biosphere Programme, with its national secretariat domiciled at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria.
The network was officially inaugurated on February 27, 2026, by the Chairman of the Man and Biosphere Committee in Nigeria and Director-General of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Professor Zacharia Yaduma, as part of efforts to encourage greater youth participation in protecting Nigeria’s biosphere reserves and biodiversity resources.
Speaking during the training attended by 26 students, the MAB Youth Focal Point in Nigeria, Miss Lynda Abodunrin, stressed the importance of involving young people actively in environmental conservation efforts.
According to her, biodiversity remains critical to human survival and must be protected through collective action beginning at the community level.
She explained that environmental conservation starts with everyday actions taken in homes, schools, and communities, urging students to see themselves as custodians of the environment.
Abodunrin also introduced the students to the concept of biodiversity and educated them on practical ways to protect and sustainably manage their surroundings.
The Principal of Plantation High School, Reverend Abiola Osifeso, commended the initiative and assured organisers that the school would ensure that the knowledge gained by students translates into practical environmental action.
He also expressed the institution’s willingness to collaborate further with the MAB Youth Network to deepen conservation awareness among students.
The training programme was organised in collaboration with the Nigeria MAB Desk Officer, Professor Tayo Oyelowo, as part of broader efforts to raise environmentally conscious youths within communities hosting biosphere reserves.
Also present at the event were teachers and members of the MAB Youth Network team, including the Co-Coordinator, Mr. Adewale Ishola; Financial Secretary, Mrs. Queen Arowojobe; Media Officer, Idara Umoh-Ido; and the Manager of the Omo Biosphere Reserve Office, Mr. Clifford Omonu.
Speaking on the outreach, the network’s Media Officer, Idara Umoh-Ido, described the programme as the first of its kind in the area and noted that it marks the beginning of broader environmental advocacy campaigns targeted at Nigerian youths.
She expressed optimism that similar training programmes would soon be extended to more schools located within biosphere reserve communities across the country.
The Omo Biosphere Reserve remains one of Nigeria’s UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves recognised internationally for its ecological importance and rich biodiversity.
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