Climate Edutainment: Using innovative games to inspires creative climate action in Nigeria

Climate changes amongst many other environmental challenges is one of the biggest problems facing humanity, yet many young people do not have the knowledge needed to take action. To bridge this gap, Ecocykle development foundation launched the Climate Edutainment (ClimEd) Project, a fun and innovative program that teaches teenagers about the environment using games and inspires creative advocacy to tackle persistent environmental challenges.

At the heart of the project is the PLAN (Play, Learn, Act Now) Climate Action Game—a card game that turns complex climate issues into simple, engaging lessons. Already used in 11 countries to educate over 5,000 students, the game was introduced in Abuja schools to inspire teamwork, problem-solving, and creative climate advocacy.

The project ran from September 29 to October 3, 2025, and ended with a grand finale at Primark International School, Jikwoyi, FCT-Abuja. Over 60 students took part in a capacity building workshops, participated in a practical learning session using the PLAN Game, and then worked in groups to co-create and pitch interesting and creative climate advocacy strategies ranging from poetry, drama, dance, and art. These effort demonstrated a practical learning into actionable solutions address real world environmental challenges.

The competition was judged by a panel led by Mrs. Elsie Imaikop of the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, with prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Beyond the cash prizes, all participants gained new skills in teamwork, innovation, and climate advocacy. To ensure the project continues, Ecocykle donated 20 packs of the PLAN Game and officially launched the school’s Climate Edutainment Club.

Ecocykle’s Executive Director, Lauritta Boniface, said:

This project shows how games can be powerful tools for learning and inspiring action. By combining fun with knowledge, we are raising a new generation of climate champions who can creatively speak up for the planet. We hope to expand this project to many more schools in Nigeria and showcase the voice of Nigerian youth on the global stage.

As part of next steps, Ecocykle plans to scale the project to schools across Nigeria, training teachers, supporting student climate clubs, and using more games to spark climate awareness and action.

The project was supported by Green protocol Nigeria, AFS Youth Assembly, the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Young Professionals for Policy and Development (YouPaD), Ecostewards, and Positive Action for Climate Initiative (PACi).