Daily Dispatch

A voice for young African climate activists

- KATE OKARI

In 2016, during a visit to the oilrich Niger Delta, Kelo Uchendu witnessed the impact of acid rain for the first time.

As the rain came down, people hurriedly closed drums used for storing water.

He was told this was done because the rain was so acidic that it contaminat­ed drinking water and made people sick. He was shocked.

“I asked why people were not talking about this,” Uchendo said.

He learnt that acidic aerosols from gas flaring and refinery operations were falling to Earth when it rained, causing deforestat­ion and affecting farming and even infrastruc­ture.

He also learnt that aboveavera­ge levels of carbon dioxide in the air were turning the oceans acid.

“There is no direct connection between climate change and acidic rainfall, but the study exposed me to the other issue of ocean acidificat­ion,” he said.

He decided to do something to draw attention to these issues.

Two years later, while still a mechanical engineerin­g student at the University of Nigeria, Uchendu launched the Gray2green Movement.

He and his team organised climate marches, planted trees and pushed for the inclusion of climate education among several of the university’s generallev­el courses.

Today, at 26, Uchendu is the policy lead for YOUNGO, which is the UN’S Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituen­cy.

He is responsibl­e for ensuring the voices of young people are heard at COP27, and he and his colleagues have been developing a “Global Youth Statement” for the event.

Despite resistance to his calls for a louder youth “voice”, in 2020 he joined forces with more than 330 young climate activists to organise a “Mock COP26”.

Afterwards, Uchendu contacted Nigerian lawmaker Samuel Onuigbo, who was preparing to propose the Climate Action Bill for the second time.

“We worked with him to push for the inclusion of the conference’s demands in the bill,” Uchendu said.

The bill — passed into law as the Climate Change Act, 2021 — reflected a commitment by the Nigerian government to achieve net zero (reducing carbon emissions to the lowest amount) by 2060 — not easy for a country that relies so heavily on oil exports.

While the country has moved to limit gas flaring and decarbonis­e gas operations, oil is expected to play a key role in the economy for years.

In the Niger Delta, residents continue to complain about acidic rainfall and their degrading environmen­t.

With the region’s mangrove forests, creeks and farmlands heavily contaminat­ed by oil, much still need to be done to reverse the effect of harmful human activities on the environmen­t.

“We have to commit to decarbonis­ing our major energy sectors,” Uchendu said.

 ?? Picture: SUPPLIED ?? MAKING MOVES: Kelo Uchendu, the policy lead of YOUNGO, at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change children and youth constituen­cy.
Picture: SUPPLIED MAKING MOVES: Kelo Uchendu, the policy lead of YOUNGO, at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change children and youth constituen­cy.

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