Oshodi, Nigeria Chapter

Joseph

Anyanwu Joseph is spearheading two climate-focused initiatives: the Bye Bye Plastic Bags Campaign and a Climate Change Awareness Class. Both projects are part of his larger campaign called Earth Protectors, which aims to teach youth to learn about the climate crisis, identify an issue they are passionate about and develop a solution to take action. The program focuses on building multi-stakeholder buy-in in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ecosystem destruction happening in their community. Over the last five years, his program has engaged more than 200 students and driven a variety of community initiatives including tree planting, plastic recycling, and ocean clean ups. In explaining the impact the program has on his community, Anyanwu explains it has “helped promote a transformative shift in thinking by reawakening our consciousness to sustainable behavioral change.”Every two months, Anyanwu uses his own money to buy waste bins for local schools in his community, which are lacking in proper waste management systems. When he delivers the waste bins, he uses the opportunity to talk to young people about environmental health, their right to a healthy environment, and how to become environmental leaders themselves. Anyanwu is a Youth Advisory Board Member for Amnesty International, an Ambassador at Stop Ecocide International, and the Founder of Boma Nigeria, an organization working to accelerate action across all SDGs with a focus on grassroots activism.