Have you ever wondered what’s happening to Nigeria’s trees and nature reserves? Who’s in charge and why do they seem to be disappearing all of a sudden? Curious about the link between biodiversity and the current cost of food? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, the Bioverse NG Conference is for you.
Let’s back up a bit and tell you about the project. Bioverse NG is a project by SustyVibes, a youth-led nonprofit making sustainability fun and actionable for young people across Africa. Through arts, pop culture, advocacy and more, we aim to co-create a sustainable future guided by gender equality and environmental justice.
Since 2016, we’ve been championing sustainability and building a community for passionate youth. Our work has benefited over 10,000 young Nigerians and empowered them to make an impact. We focus on climate change, eco-feminism, circularity, education and more.
The Bioverse NG Project is our latest initiative, funded by the German Embassy, to connect Nigerian youth to nature. We show the Nigerians the policies that have been created to protect their environment and talk them through how to liaise with the government to ensure the implementation. “There are so many laws, and that no one seems to know about or pay attention to” Bioverse NG Steering Committee member, Baridapsi Nyiaghan, notes. But with The Bioverse NG Project, we’re nurturing a generation that knows where to look and what to do.
We’re doing this through workshops, internships, regional dialogues and finally, the Bioverse NG National Conference on February 29, 2024.
So far, we’ve trained over 350 people across Nigeria on biodiversity and climate policy. We’ve also placed 7 interns with leading conservation groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society. Our regional dialogues fostered discussions on biodiversity and the role of youth and media.
Now, the Bioverse NG National Conference
The conference brings together all our stakeholders for an open, honest and unfiltered conversation on these urgent issues. This hybrid event (online and physically in Abuja) will feature keynotes, panel discussions, spoken word, music and more.
Who is the Bioverse NG National Conference for?
Whether you’re curious about the environment, a government stakeholder, a Nonprofit organization worker, a sustainability enthusiast, or just curious about Nigerian environmental policies, you can join us for free for this inspiring conference.
What to expect at the Bioverse NG National Conference
Our keynote speech themed “The Indispensable Role of Youth in Biodiversity will be delivered by Mrs. Ibironke Olubamise, the National Coordinator of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP), UNDP.
Some of Our Panelists are
- Fatima Aliyu Magaji, founder of FAM4FUTURE and youth champion for Nigeria’s National Agency for the Great Green Wall, and
- Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, the Conservator General of the National Park Service Nigeria.
Among the expected dignitaries are:
- Mr. Johannes Lehne, Deputy Ambassador of the German Embassy in Abuja.
- Mr. Andrew Dunn, Country Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Nigeria Program.
- S.E Igagu, Deputy Director, Drought, Desertification and Coastal Zone Management
Bioverse NG National Conference at a glance
To conclude this project, the Bioverse NG National Conference aims to bring together all project stakeholders for a more robust dialogue on climate change and biodiversity in Nigeria.
This event is scheduled to be held as follows:
Date: February 29th 2024.
Venue: Abuja & Zoom.
Featuring
- Panel Discussions
- Spoken words Performances
- Screening of a documentary about Nigeria’s biodiversity
- Networking opportunities
- Vibes and more