Programme Areas
SHADEF's work is anchored in three interconnected programme areas that together address the root causes and consequences of environmental injustice for children and youth.
Climate Education
We believe that lasting change begins with awareness. SHADEF delivers climate education programmes in secondary schools across Nigeria, equipping young people with the scientific understanding, critical thinking skills, and practical tools needed to respond to the climate crisis.
Through our Young Environmentalists Club (YES Club) model, we create peer-led platforms for climate action within schools — establishing student-led clubs that undertake tree planting, waste management, and advocacy campaigns throughout the academic year.
View YES Club project →Environmental Justice
Environmental injustice disproportionately affects the most vulnerable — including children in communities bearing the brunt of oil extraction, industrial pollution, and climate-induced disasters. SHADEF advocates for their rights through community sensitisation, policy engagement, and strategic partnerships.
Our Project Clean 4Climate brings together schools, communities, and local authorities to implement and advocate for practical environmental interventions — from clean-up campaigns to pushing for stronger local environmental regulations.
View Project Clean 4Climate →Child & Youth Rights
Every child has the right to a healthy environment — a right enshrined in international frameworks but frequently violated across Nigeria. SHADEF works to ensure these rights are known, respected, and enforced through advocacy, community mobilisation, and direct engagement with decision-makers.
Our Environmental Restoration Advocacy programme engages communities on the long-term consequences of environmental degradation and empowers citizens — especially young people — to demand accountability from both government and industry.
View Environmental Restoration project →"The environment is not a political issue — it is a children's rights issue. Every child born today inherits the consequences of the choices we make."— SHADEF