Bukola Afeni
The Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, Lady Diana Eyo-Enoette, has said children should be exposed to practical experiences that help them understand sustainable development rather than simply memorising the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
“We don’t want our children to simply memorise the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We want them to experience what the Goals mean in everyday life. When a child meets a public servant, learns emergency response, plants a tree, understands inclusion or discovers the value of responsible citizenship, the SDGs stop being numbers and become a way of thinking and living.”
Eyo-Enoette spoke as the 3rd Delta State SDGs Summer Camp entered its third day in Asaba, with more than 150 children aged seven to 15, including children with special needs, participating in practical activities centred on leadership, governance, citizenship and sustainable development.
The week-long residential programme is being held in honour of Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, First Lady of Delta State, in recognition of her commitment to the welfare, inclusion and empowerment of children, particularly those with special needs.
The camp was officially opened by the Commissioner for Youth Development, who performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony and engaged the participants on leadership, youth development and their responsibilities in building the future of Delta State.
The children have also interacted with key government and community leaders, including the Deputy Governor of Delta State, the Executive Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, Olorogun Innocent Esewezie, and the Commissioner for Technical Education.
They also engaged with a representative of the Director-General of the Delta State SDGs Directorate, education professional Ms Bukola Obute, and officers of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, popularly known as Man O’ War.
The sessions covered citizenship, patriotism, discipline, integrity, teamwork and leadership.
On the second day, the campers visited Nelson Mandela Gardens in Asaba, where they met environmentalist and explorer Dr Newton Jibunoh, OON.
Jibunoh shared experiences from his journeys across the Sahara Desert and encouraged the children to embrace courage, resilience and environmental responsibility.
The visit also featured the planting of an SDG Commitment Tree, giving the children practical exposure to SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 15 on Life on Land.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning, Hon. Sonny Akporokiamo Ekedayen, also engaged the children on planning, vision and collaboration, while highlighting the importance of sustainable development in preparing for their future.
The campers further participated in an emergency response and crisis-preparedness session led by Dr Abigail Mkperedem-Hassan, where they received practical safety and life-saving training.
Eyo-Enoette said the programme reflects the people-centred development philosophy of the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori by exposing children to education, health and wellbeing, environmental responsibility, inclusion, citizenship and partnerships.
Activities at the camp have so far addressed areas linked to SDGs 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17.
The programme continues throughout the week with further leadership engagements, practical learning sessions, recreation and other activities aimed at encouraging socially responsible and development-conscious young people in Delta State.
