CSDevNet, PACJA & Hensard University Forge  Transformative Climate Partnership in Nigeria

15 May 2025 | Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State, Nigeria — In a bold stride toward climate justice, environmental education, and grassroots resilience, the Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria (CSDevNet), in partnership with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), formalized a strategic alliance with Hensard University through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 15, 2025.

Held on the sidelines of a dynamic capacity-building workshop in Toru-Orua, the signing ceremony marks a catalytic moment for community-driven climate action in Nigeria. With the Toru-Orua mangrove ecosystems—vital to local women’s livelihoods through fishing and small-scale trade—serving as a backdrop, this collaboration seeks to bridge the knowledge-action gap between academic institutions and climate-vulnerable communities.

The partnership aims to embed climate consciousness in Nigeria’s education system while elevating local voices and aligning with the country’s climate commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Let me pledge our commitment to work with you in this vision of saving the planet that God gave to us… we pledge to work with you on this initiative.”
— Prof. Emmy Idegu, Hensard University representative

“We want to engage our students on environmental stewardship — not just for academic excellence, but for a social cause.”
— Prof. Dileep Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Hensard University

A Framework Rooted in Action

The MoU outlines a comprehensive roadmap for collaboration from 2025 to 2028, grounded in four key pillars:

• Capacity Building: Practical training for students and community members on mangrove restoration, sustainable resource management, and climate adaptation.
• Research and Innovation: Joint studies on critical themes such as climate finance, renewable energy, disaster risk reduction, and gender-responsive climate policy.
• Youth and Women Empowerment: Fostering climate leadership and green entrepreneurship among young people and women.
• Joint Advocacy: Coordinated campaigns and policy dialogue to support Nigeria’s climate agenda at local and national levels.

“We will not sign this MoU and begin to sing the song of the MoU, but in the nearest future, begin to sing of the results that the signing of the MoU has produced.”
— Mr. Abuh Monday Steve, National Network Coordinator, CSDevNet

Mr. Steve lauded Hensard University for its collaborative spirit and reaffirmed CSDevNet’s commitment to transformative impact through measurable outcomes. This partnership, he noted, signals a paradigm shift in how academia and civil society work together to meet the climate moment.

Laying the Groundwork for Climate-Conscious Futures

The significance of this partnership goes beyond paper—it speaks to the growing movement to localize climate solutions, harness intergenerational learning, and ensure that climate-vulnerable communities like Toru-Orua are not left behind. By leveraging PACJA’s continental climate justice mandate, CSDevNet’s national coordination, and Hensard University’s academic reach, the alliance sets a powerful precedent for replicable, inclusive climate education and advocacy models.

This is not just a memorandum—it’s a manifesto for change.

Together, these institutions are anchoring climate action in the lived realities of Nigerian communities, mobilizing academic power for sustainable development, and sowing the seeds of a just, green future — one mangrove, one student, and one empowered community at a time.