An Environmental Sustainability Consultant and Author, Halimot Raji has stressed the need to introduce climate change and environmental sustainability to young people early enough to help them develop responsible habits and understand their role in protecting the environment.
In her book title, Shola & Soji Save the World, the author said children should not be excluded from conversations about climate change because of their age, noting that while they may not be responsible for many of the environmental challenges confronting the world today, they would inherit the consequences of decisions being made now.

The eight-chapter environmental education book for children, which has 56 pages and includes practical activities, uses storytelling to help children connect environmental challenges with experiences in their immediate surroundings.
According to the author, the inspiration for the book came from a passion for environmental sustainability and experience in environmental education and community engagement.
The author said: “My inspiration came from my passion for environmental sustainability and my belief that environmental consciousness should begin early in life having identified the gaps.

“Through my work in environmental education and community engagement, I have seen how important it is for people to understand the environmental challenges around them and recognise that they can be part of the solution.
“I wanted to communicate this message to children in a way that was engaging, relatable and easy to understand. That inspired me to write Shola & Soji Save the World. This book, funnily, is Book 1: Something Is Wrong With the Rain.”
Raji explained that climate change communication could sometimes appear distant, technical and overwhelming to children, particularly when discussions centre on concepts such as global warming, carbon emissions and international climate negotiations.

Rather than beginning with complex global concepts, the book introduces environmental issues through things children can see, experience and question in their immediate environment.
She said the opening chapter, Something Had Changed, follows Shola after she notices that something appears wrong with the rain.
“She does not ignore it. She becomes curious, asks questions and works with her friend Soji to investigate,” the author said.

The approach, according to Raji is designed to demonstrate that environmental problems are not restricted to international conferences but can also be seen in everyday issues such as air quality, drainage systems and waste management.
The book also follows Shola and Soji as they trace the cause of an environmental problem towards a market, where they encounter other behavioural activities connected to environmental management.
She said young Nigerians and Africans could play significant roles in addressing environmental challenges as advocates, innovators, community mobilisers, researchers, entrepreneurs and future policymakers.

“Africa faces interconnected environmental and socioeconomic challenges, including flooding, extreme heat, land degradation, poor waste management and energy access concerns.
“These challenges require solutions that reflect local realities rather than approaches that simply copy solutions developed elsewhere,” Raji stated.
The author added that young people could contribute by developing locally appropriate innovations, promoting responsible resource use, participating in community environmental initiatives, supporting renewable energy solutions and demanding accountability from institutions on environmental commitments.

The book also introduces children to the principles of the circular economy by encouraging them to consider ways of reducing waste, reusing materials, recycling resources and transforming discarded materials into useful products and economic opportunities.
However, the author cautioned against placing the entire responsibility for climate action on young people, stressing that governments, businesses, educational institutions and communities also have important roles to play.
“Just like in this book, I mentioned some governmental bodies that are responsible for waste management and environmental protection. This is to let the young people know that it is a multiple actor thing,” she said.

Raji argued that young people need access to education, funding, mentorship, technology and meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making if they are to contribute effectively to environmental solutions.
The book encourages children to observe their surroundings, ask questions, investigate environmental problems, participate in sanitation activities and think critically about possible solutions.
It also promotes responsible waste disposal through the character of Soji, who, according to the author, does not throw away the sachet from the biscuit he is eating indiscriminately but looks for an appropriate place to dispose of it.
The author said this was intended to encourage children to develop the habit of trashing it right.
Her words: “I believe awareness is important, but awareness alone is not enough. We need to help children move from knowing about environmental problems to understanding how they can respond responsibly.
“The larger goal is to connect storytelling with action. A child who reads about an environmental problem should be encouraged to ask: What is happening around me? Why is it happening? Who can help? What can I do responsibly?”

The book she explains contains practical activities designed to help children identify appropriate waste bins for everyday materials in public places. It also includes a pledge section intended to encourage personal accountability.
The author recalled an early response to the book, stating that one young boy who encountered the material said he had never known that switching off lights was a way of reducing energy waste.
Raji said such reactions demonstrated the value of presenting environmental education in simple, everyday terms.

Beyond the book, the author said the publication was intended to serve as the beginning of a broader environmental education project, the Shola & Soji Eco-Learning Initiative.
The initiative, according to her seeks to connect environmental storytelling with structured learning, practical activities and opportunities for children to take environmental action.
“Above all, I want young readers to understand that their questions, ideas and actions matter.

“I want them to become curious enough to notice environmental problems, courageous enough to ask questions, thoughtful enough to investigate possible causes and creative enough to imagine solutions,” Raji said.
She added that environmental responsibility should not be regarded as the exclusive preserve of scientists, environmental professionals or government officials, stressing that individuals also have roles to play, depending on their circumstances and opportunities.