INTEGRATING NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES INTO CLIMATE EDUCATION: BRIDGING KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Climate change presents one of the greatest challenges to sustainable development in Nigeria and across the globe. While significant efforts have been made in climate education and awareness, these efforts often exclude indigenous perspectives and the linguistic realities of local communities. In Nigeria, with its vast array of indigenous languages and diverse cultural knowledge systems, the use of dominant or foreign languages in climate communication has limited the reach and effectiveness of environmental campaigns.This research explores the integration of Nigerian indigenous languages into climate education as a means of bridging Western scientific knowledge with indigenous ecological wisdom.The study addresses the existing gap in the localization of climate communication, particularly the lack of culturally and linguistically inclusive strategies that can empower grassroots communities to participate in climate action. The primary objective is to investigate how indigenous languages can serve as vehicles for effective climate education and to assess the implications of such integration for sustainable development goals. Using a qualitative research approach, the study will involve semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis in selected indigenous communities across Nigeria.