Over the weekend, I was privileged to be a delegate at this year’s African Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit, themed “Building Resilient Communities through the SDGs and Circular Economy,” organized by the African Cleanup Initiative (ACI) at Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

The room was filled with passionate personalities committed to addressing climate change.

I was inspired and fueled by the amazing speakers that touched on areas involving policy making and action points.

Titilayo Oshodi MCIPM, FISMN walked us through scaling solutions for global impact, charging us that we do not have to wait for perfect conditions. We can start with our realities, learn from one another and scale on what works.

Engr. Onyinye Akubuilo-Okpalanma talked on localizing the SDGs for community impact — how we can better bridge the implementation gap in our communities.

Professor Gerald Ndu Okeke baptized us with the fire of climate change; his teaching on the impact of climate change on humans and the environment emphasized the need for a sense of urgency.

Prof. Theo Aku Ugah lectured us on transforming waste into economic opportunity.

The summit also involved an eco-friendly tour to the Songhai Farm in Porto-Novo, which showed possibilities to me and practical steps to some of the things taught during the course of the conference.

A big shout out to the convener, Alexander Akhigbe, for putting such a remarkable event together.

I also had the honor of interacting and connecting with phenomenal minds who are doing great things in the climate change space — Rashidah Omotola AbdulQuadri, a gold mine of information and experience; Bright Shedrack, who gave me a stellar lecture on climate finance; my brother Pascal Akunazobi, a very sound mind; and the inimitable Fatimoh Ogundimu.

Thankful for the experience and knowledge gathered.

By Precious Emmughinaani
Climate Change Enthusiast, Focused on Sustainable Agriculture & Environmental Impact