Founder of the Geohazards Risk Mapping Initiative (GRMI), a Nigeria-based nonprofit organisation focused on climate resilience initiatives, Taiwo Ogunwumi, has been selected for the 2025 cohort of the Africa Youth Capacity Enhancement Programme on Climate Mobility.

Ogunwumi will join 39 other young changemakers chosen from a highly competitive pool of more than 2,000 applicants from across Africa to accelerate youth-led action to address the impacts of climate change on migration across the continent.

The programme is led by the United Nations agency, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark under the Climate Change and Migration Data (CCMD) programme.

According to the organisers, the Africa Youth Capacity Enhancement Programme on Climate Mobility was established to strengthen the leadership, technical capacity, and visibility of youth-led climate mobility solutions.

Announcing the 40 selected participants in a statement on its website, the IOM said the selected individuals represent youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) from across Africa and have demonstrated exceptional commitment, vision, and potential to lead community-based solutions addressing the growing challenges of climate change and human mobility.

“Young people are among the most affected by climate change, disasters, and environmental degradation, yet they are also among the most powerful agents of change. Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing demographic, with over 60 per cent of its inhabitants under the age of 25, according to a UN Population report. By 2030, its youth are expected to constitute 42 per cent of the global youth population.

“As the continent navigates the growing impact of disasters and environmental degradation, engaging them is both timely and essential. Through this programme, IOM is investing in their potential to shape climate mobility solutions rooted in equity, dignity, and sustainability,” the statement read in part.

The IOM said over the coming months, the selected changemakers will participate in training and mentorship sessions with experts, equipping them with practical skills to deliver impactful climate mobility solutions.

“The programme will equip participants with knowledge, tools and resources to develop and implement impactful community-based climate mobility projects, strengthen their monitoring, evaluation, and reporting skills, improve their communication, advocacy, and resource mobilization strategies, and build networks and engage in national, regional, and global climate policy spaces,” the UN agency noted.

Reacting to his selection, Ogunwumi described it as both ‘an honour and a responsibility,’ noting that it offers him an opportunity to deepen his skills and further amplify grassroots climate resilience work in vulnerable communities across Nigeria.

“This programme will strengthen my capacity to design and implement climate mobility interventions that can make a real difference in people’s lives, especially those displaced or at risk due to environmental hazards,” he said. (The Guardian)