Climate change is not an abstract threat for young people in Bauchi State. It is erratic rainfall that disrupts farming. It is rising temperatures that affect school attendance. It is flooding that displaces families. For the young people who enrolled in YLN's Youth Climate Action Fellowship, these aren't statistics — they're lived realities.
The fellowship launched with a week-long Climate Justice Boot Camp in Bauchi, bringing together 30 young people from across the state for intensive sessions on climate science, environmental justice, community engagement, and practical climate action. Fellows weren't just taught about climate — they were equipped to act on it.
The boot camp combined classroom sessions with field visits and practical exercises. Fellows developed community action plans, mapped environmental risks in their own LGAs, and connected with local government and civil society actors working on environmental issues. By the end of the week, each fellow had a specific project idea grounded in their community's needs.
“This was the first time someone treated climate as a justice issue, not just a science issue.”
Youth Climate Action Fellow Ibrahim, from Tafawa Balewa LGA, described the boot camp as 'the first time someone treated climate as a justice issue, not just a science issue.' That framing — that communities bearing the greatest burden of climate change deserve the greatest support in responding to it — runs through everything YLN does in this space.
The fellowship continues with monthly mentorship sessions, field implementation of community projects, and a final showcase that brings fellows, partners, and government together to see what youth-led climate action can actually deliver.
Related Programme
Youth Climate Action Fellowship — Climate Impact