A school proprietor in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Chika Agwu, has called for the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Nigeria’s school curriculum to help nurture responsible and globally minded citizens from an early age.
Agwu, the Founder and Director of White Cloud Schools, made the call on Saturday during the Young Changemakers SDGs Summit held in Abakaliki. The summit was themed “Small Hands, Big Impacts – Driving the Global Goals.”
She explained that the programme, which targets pupils in primary and secondary schools, aims to inspire children to dream big and make positive contributions to society as they grow.
“If we want a sustainable world, we must start by building sustainable minds.
Let us include SDGs learning in every classroom. Let us support children to think critically about their communities.
Let us guide them not just to chase success but to create significance,” Agwu urged.
She emphasized that making a difference in society does not necessarily require wealth or influence but begins with small, caring hearts and active minds.
“In our schools, teaching children about the SDGs is not just extra-curricular — it is essential. We teach responsibility, leadership, and global citizenship,” she said.
Agwu noted that her school had taken deliberate steps to embed SDG learning into classroom activities.
“We decided to bring the SDGs out of textbooks and into classrooms — to raise a generation of young people who do not just learn about the world but are determined to change it.
We want a situation where the dreams of our students can shape the world,” she stated.
She added that White Cloud Schools had launched a “Clean My Street” campaign under which pupils and students regularly engage in community sanitation exercises to promote environmental responsibility.
Agwu further explained that the 17 SDGs, designed by the United Nations, serve as a roadmap for achieving a better and more sustainable world by ending poverty, protecting the planet, and promoting peace and prosperity for all.
In her remarks, Mrs. Esther Nwogha, Senior Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on SDGs and Focal Person for the initiative, commended the summit as a timely and impactful effort to engage young minds.
“The summit is a seed of guidance, discipline, and purpose planted in young hearts for a greater tomorrow.
Impact is not measured by age, title, or size but by the courage to act, the heart to care, and the will to make a difference,” Nwogha said.
