Delta SUBEB, UBEC Sensitize Stakeholders on Climate Change, Sustainable Agriculture

June 7, 2026

In a bid to promote environmental sustainability, strengthen climate change awareness, enhance food security and equip learners with practical agricultural skills, the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has conducted a One-Day Sensitization Programme on the Green School Climate Change Initiative for the 2025 Intervention Year at Ophromo Farms, Evwreni, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The Executive Chairman of Delta SUBEB, Hon. Samuel Mariere, who was represented by the Second Member of the Board, Comrade Onome Akpoghere, said the initiative was a strategic step towards addressing food security challenges while preparing pupils and students to embrace agriculture as a viable means of livelihood.

According to him, agriculture remains indispensable to human existence, stressing that every household should cultivate the habit of farming.

“Climate-Smart Agriculture is a sure means of addressing the adverse effects of climate change on food security in Delta State and the country at large. This is why the Green School Climate Change Initiative has become imperative,” he said.

Hon. Mariere also commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for his commitment to education and agriculture, noting that the Governor has continued to support the training and retraining of education personnel as well as critical projects that have significantly revitalized the basic education sector in the State.

According to him, the Governor’s investment in human capital development and educational infrastructure reflects the administration’s determination to build a more productive and self-reliant society in line with the MORE Agenda.

Earlier, the Director of Academic Services, Mrs. Francisca Okpeh, disclosed that 32 schools drawn from the 25 Local Government Areas of the state were selected for the programme.

 She explained that the initiative is designed to expose learners to agriculture from an early age and develop their interest in agricultural enterprises.

“We want to raise a generation of learners who will see agriculture not just as a subject, but as a productive venture capable of contributing to food security and economic development,” she stated.

Mrs. Okpeh added that the programme is not limited to primary schools, noting that Junior Secondary Schools have also been incorporated into the initiative to deepen learners’ interest in agriculture and encourage the development of agricultural skills.

In her goodwill message, the Dean of Education Secretaries in Delta State, Chief Rose Esiso, urged stakeholders to maximize the opportunities provided by the programme by effectively implementing its objectives in their respective localities.

She emphasized the need for active participation by learners and noted that supervisors would monitor implementation across the benefiting schools to ensure that the objectives of the initiative are achieved.

Also speaking, the State Coordinator of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mrs. Sharon Dafiluelo, commended the collaboration between UBEC and Delta SUBEB in advancing environmental sustainability and agricultural education in schools.

She assured participants that attention would be given to schools lacking perimeter fencing and other security infrastructure, noting that necessary measures would be put in place to protect school farms and other facilities established under the initiative.

Delivering  his presentation, the resource person, Dr. Babalola Adeniyi, a Rural Sociologist and Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, Dennis Osadebe University, said Climate-Smart Agriculture is geared towards overcoming food security challenges through sustainable agricultural management practices while mitigating the effects of climate change.

“Climate-Smart Agriculture provides a pathway for increasing productivity, promoting sustainability and building resilience against climate-related challenges,” he noted.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to embrace innovative and environmentally friendly agricultural practices capable of guaranteeing food security for future generations.

The sensitization programme was attended by Green School Climate Change Initiative Desk Officers at the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) level, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) Chairmen, Headteachers and Agricultural Science Teachers from the 32 benefiting schools across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state. 

Also in attendance were Education Secretaries from across Delta State, Directors of Delta SUBEB, as well as other key education stakeholders.