The Daily holds World Environment Day 2026 Symposium in Lagos

The Daily, standing on four pillars — Energy, Local Content, Environment and Sustainability — has successfully held its 2026 World Environment Day Symposium at the Lecture Theatre of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nigeria, with the theme: “Climate Action: Empowering Nigerian Youth to Drive Local Content for Energy Security and a Green Future.”
The event attracted more than 350 participants, including youths, women, top energy industry leaders, and students from UNILAG, Lagos State University, Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology (FCFMT), and the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), among others. The event was facilitated by volunteers and environmental enthusiasts led by Esther Nkama while Michael Odewade held forte as the Master of Ceremony.
The symposium was proudly supported by African Energy Week (AEW), All On, International Energy Services Limited, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the African Association of Energy Journalists and Publishers (AJERAP), the Oil and Gas Services Providers Association of Nigeria (OGSPAN), Barton Heyman, and Spaces for Change (S4C).
In his welcome remarks, a member of the organising committee, Eyo Godswill, welcomed guests and participants, noting that The Daily has consistently organised similar engagements annually since 2016 as part of its contribution to deepening knowledge and awareness on environment and sustainability issues in Nigeria and across Africa.
He noted that the environment is humanity’s collective heritage and stressed the importance of celebrating and protecting it together.

Building sustainable, energy-secure, prosperous future

Chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr. Diran Fawibe, who chaired the event, said: “Today, we gather to reflect on one of the defining challenges and opportunities of our generation — the urgent need for climate action and the critical role of Nigerian youths in building a sustainable, energy-secure, and prosperous future.”
He described the symposium’s theme as timely, stressing that climate change is no longer a distant concern, as rising temperatures, flooding, desertification, biodiversity loss, and pressure on livelihoods continue to impact societies globally.
According to him, Nigeria faces the dual challenge of ensuring sustainable development while also guaranteeing reliable and affordable energy for economic growth.
He said: “Energy security remains essential for industrial growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and improved quality of life. The question before us is not whether we should choose between economic development and environmental sustainability, but how to achieve both simultaneously.”
Fawibe described Nigerian youths as innovators, entrepreneurs, environmental advocates, and future leaders capable of driving transformative change through renewable energy solutions, sustainable agriculture, green manufacturing, and environmental stewardship.
He stressed the importance of empowering youths through education, technical skills, mentorship, financing opportunities, and access to technology.
He also emphasised the role of local content in sustainable development, noting that involving local expertise, businesses, technologies, and communities would strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, create jobs, stimulate innovation, and reduce dependence on imported solutions.
He identified opportunities in solar energy, wind power, bioenergy, climate-smart agriculture, waste-to-energy projects, and green technologies as potential drivers of economic growth if Nigerian youths are positioned at the centre of these opportunities.
He urged government, the private sector, educational institutions, development partners, and young people to collaborate toward building a sustainable future.

“Climate action is not solely an environmental agenda; it is an economic agenda, a development agenda, and a national security agenda,” he added.

Empowering youths with skills, enabling environment

Delivering the goodwill message on behalf of the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, Chairman of the NSE Lagos Branch, Engr. Olukorede Kesha, described the theme as timely and strategic.
She said the future of sustainable development, environmental stewardship, energy security, and economic prosperity depends largely on empowering Nigerian youths with the skills, opportunities, and enabling environment needed to drive innovation and local content development.
According to her, Nigeria’s growing population and rising energy demand require reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions, while the global transition to cleaner energy presents opportunities for innovation, industrial growth, and job creation.
She stressed that Nigerian youths possess the creativity, technical capacity, entrepreneurial spirit, and resilience needed to lead the next generation of energy solutions.
Kesha commended the organisers and collaborating institutions for creating a platform to discuss practical ways of strengthening local participation in the energy sector while advancing environmental sustainability.
She noted that the NSE continues to equip young engineers through student chapters, mentorship initiatives, technical workshops, innovation competitions, and professional development programmes focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grids, sustainable infrastructure, and green manufacturing.
She added that environmental sustainability is an economic, social, and developmental imperative, stressing that climate change, energy poverty, and resource depletion require innovative and locally driven solutions.

Going beyond slogans, focusing on jobs, businesses, innovation

The guest speaker, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Climate Transition Limited and Managing Partner/CEO of Barton Heyman Limited, Olumide Lala, provided deeper insights into the theme of the symposium.
He said climate action should go beyond slogans and focus on opportunities in jobs, businesses, innovation, wealth creation, and national development.
According to him, despite Nigeria’s vast oil, gas, solar, wind, and human resources, many homes and businesses still lack reliable energy access.
He explained that energy security means access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and uninterrupted energy supply, adding that energy security is not just an energy issue but also an economic, social, and national security issue.

Stop exporting raw materials, importing finished products

He stressed that Africa must move away from exporting raw materials while importing finished products and expertise.
“Local content means Nigerians designing, manufacturing, financing, installing, operating, and maintaining the technologies and infrastructure that power our economy,” he said.
He envisioned a future where solar panels, electric vehicle components, green hydrogen projects, carbon market services, and climate technology startups are developed locally by Nigerians.
According to him, this would create jobs, retain talent, and position Nigeria as a producer rather than merely a consumer of technology.

Opportunities for Nigerian youths

Speaking on opportunities in the green economy, he identified renewable energy, solar engineering, battery technologies, mini-grid development, energy auditing, energy efficiency services, climate finance, ESG analysis, sustainable banking, carbon market development, precision farming, climate-smart agriculture, recycling, circular economy solutions, sustainable construction materials, and electric mobility as emerging areas for youths.
He urged universities to modernise curricula, strengthen industry partnerships, commercialise research, and establish green innovation hubs to prepare students for the future economy.

Supporting investments, local manufacturing, others

He urged government to support renewable energy investments, local manufacturing, green financing, and climate innovation policies.
Addressing students directly, he encouraged them to take advantage of unlimited access to knowledge and opportunities available through technology and online learning platforms.
“Do not wait for the future. Build it. Do not wait for jobs. Create them. Do not wait for change. Lead it,” he said.

Pursuing academic excellence alongside vocational training

During the panel session moderated by Dr. Julian Chijioke of S4C, Vice President of OGSPAN, Mr. Lawal Kamaldeen, commended the organisers for consistently using the annual World Environment Day celebration to educate Nigerian youths on environmental preservation and opportunities within the energy sector.
He highlighted the impact of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010 in creating opportunities for Nigerian youths in the oil and gas value chain.
Kamaldeen also praised the Dangote Refinery as a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward energy sustainability and self-sufficiency.
However, he stressed the need for increased investment in human capital development to bridge technical skills gaps among Nigerian youths.
He urged students to pursue academic excellence alongside vocational training, internships, professional certifications, and practical skills acquisition.
Other panelists, including Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) professional, Jide Sokeye, and Environmental Consultant and QHSE professional at International Energy Services Limited, Bohanmayo Stephen, also stressed the importance of practical skills acquisition and stronger collaboration between industry and academic institutions.

Winners emerge

The event ended with an interactive question-and-answer session and the presentation of prizes to participants who answered questions correctly.