Professor Theophilus Aku Ugah, a professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability has two decades experience in research, policy engagement and community-based innovation. He was recently awarded a professional chair by the renowned Highstone Global University, Texas, United States of America (USA). In this interview with GBENGA SALAU, Ugah harped on the need for the government to make Climate Change studies compulsory from primary to tertiary levels. He also spoke on insecurity and the calls for the creation of State Police, among other issues. Excerpts:
Briefly tell us about yourself?
I am a Nigerian from Guma local council of Benue State. I am a scholar and practitioner in the field of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability with decades of experience in research, policy engagement and community based innovation. I currently hold a professorial chair in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, and recently received an honorary doctoral award from Highstone Global University, Texas, U.S. in recognition of my work in Alternative and Renewable Energy, and the Best Academic Researcher Award for 2025.
Can you take us through your academic career?
My academic journey spans through teaching, research leadership, and collaboration with institutions across the globe. I have contributed to several global climate policy dialogues through my research work published in many notable platforms aimed at increasing awareness on issues related to climate challenges and environmental sustainability and developing the next generation of environmental leaders. At the core of my work is the belief that science should serve society, especially the vulnerable, and that local action, informed by global knowledge, can shape a sustainable future.
You earned a professorial chair award in Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability recently from Highstone Global University, Texas, U.S. What does this award mean to you?
Receiving the Professorial Chair Award from Highstone Global University, Texas, is a significant milestone in my academic journey. The recognition acknowledges not only my research in climate change adaptation and policy, but also the translation of knowledge into community-level action. The award aligns with global trends of recognising interdisciplinary scholars who bridge science, policy, and social impact; like how the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) laureates has been honoured for influencing global climate policy.
As a professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, can you tell us some of the challenges developing nations like Nigeria face?
Developing countries like Nigeria face similar challenges to what Bangladesh experienced decades ago – high vulnerability to climate impacts, such as flooding and sea-level rise, while having limited capacity to adapt. However, Bangladesh turned vulnerability into resilience through community-based adaptation, early warning systems, and climate-smart agriculture. Nigeria can learn from such models by integrating local knowledge with national climate action plans. Nigeria can develop a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) on climate change as required by the United Nations by integrating climate technology and traditional local best practices to produce customised and effective NAPs that can ensure early warning alarms, education for vulnerable communities, and improved food security through drought resistant farming etc.
What can the government do to promote awareness and sensitise the Nigerian people about climate change?
Climate change is real; we are already experiencing the impact across all strata of our societies. Recently, the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, started a fresh war against desertification and climate change by issuing an Executive Order forbidding indiscriminate felling of trees with stern penalties. The governor’s step is commendable.
We cannot continue to wait and see. We must promote awareness by practically addressing the challenges. Government should formulate the right policies and monitor implementation for a sustainable future. Climate and environmental education must form part of compulsory education from primary to tertiary levels so that individuals will re-orientate their lifestyles towards promoting a friendly culture.
The Tinubu administration came on board with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’. How do you see the journey so far and its impact on Nigerians?
Hope must be backed with measurable impacts. For example, Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery under President Paul Kagame showed that bold reforms, public sector efficiency, and digital innovation can transform national narratives. Nigeria’s administration needs to translate ‘Renewed Hope’ into renewed trust by prioritising reforms that tangibly improve quality of life particularly in job creation, power supply and security. Policy makers must incorporate the inevitable element of sustainable development into the developmental frameworks. At the end of the day, the living standard of the peasant dwellers defines the level of success or failure of a strategy.
The National Assembly (NASS) is seen as a rubber stamp in certain quarters because of how it approves the executive’s demands. What is your take on this?
The executive and legislatures globally have balanced cooperation with oversight. The UK Parliament, for example, conducts rigorous committee hearings that hold the executive accountable, while South Korea’s National Assembly is for independent reviews of executive policies. Our National Assembly can borrow these best practices, strengthening legislative independence while collaborating on reforms. Politicians must not be seen to be overtly partisan when it comes to defending the rights of the electorate.
How would you weigh in on the debate for the creation of State Police?
The United States operates a functional federal policing model where state and local police are constitutionally empowered, yet subject to federal oversight and training standards. If Nigeria adopts state policing, it must ensure that adequate safeguards are in place – training, funding and judicial oversight – to prevent political misuse while improving security at grassroots levels.
One of the challenges facing the creation of state police is infrastructural deficiency and decay. Even the existing Federal police do not have enough resources to respond timely to distress calls; many states in Nigeria are struggling economically to survive. So, where will the funding for effective state police come from? We need to conduct a holistic assessment of what it takes to establish state and local police and ensure the enablers for their effective operation are considered; otherwise the whole thing will end up a wild goose chase.
Insecurity in Nigeria seems to be on the increase. What would be your suggestion to the government on this?
Countries like Colombia and Sierra Leone made significant progress in addressing insecurity by combining military reform with social reintegration programmes. Nigeria should adopt a comprehensive security framework – investing in intelligence, de-radicalisation, and early warning systems. Integrating technology and local vigilante groups under proper coordination can also improve outcomes, as seen in Kenya’s community policing efforts. The bottom line is – Nigeria must partner with other nations that have made successes in handling insecurity. No single nation can be self-sufficient in addressing this global menace of terrorism. Genuine measures should be taken to purge our security services of personnel who have been found to have compromised national security for whatever personal reasons, because the possibility of insider collaboration exists. The need for enhanced intelligence gathering across board cannot be overemphasised.
Nigeria will be 65 years old this year. We are still crawling. What do you think is the major problem of Nigeria?
I love using examples so that we can have hope that the issues confronting this nation are surmountable. Singapore offers a case study on how visionary leadership, anti-corruption policies, and meritocracy can elevate a small nation to global status within decades. Nigeria’s core issue is not lack of potential, but lack of governance discipline. We must invest in strengthening our institutions and guaranteeing their total independence; like judiciary, civil service, and electoral bodies to truly harness our potential. Nigeria cannot go far with the current practice of promoting strong individuals rather than strong and independent institutions.
In your academic life, whom will you regard as your role model?
I draw inspiration from many people; I will just mention a few: Professor Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Her work on how communities self-organise to manage natural resources challenges conventional thinking. She proved that locally-driven solutions are powerful tools in environmental governance, an idea I champion in my own work in African communities.
Another role model for me is Nelson Mandela. He exemplifies many good things – the power of vision, importunity and forgiveness.
Professor Gerald Okeke Ndubuisi happens to be the first Professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability in Africa. I cherish his drive, commitment and never-give up spirit in promoting climate change education globally and in Africa in particular. This double Professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability and of Safety and Environment is doing so much to promote ecological restoration.
Nigerian youths are interested in getting rich quick by dabbling in cybercrimes, rituals, and kidnapping. What do you think the government should do about this?
The “get-rich-quick” syndrome is not unique to Nigeria. In the 1990s, the United States faced a rise in gang violence driven by socio-economic despair. Programmes like ‘Youth Build’ and ‘Second Chance Act’ focused on rehabilitating and empowering at-risk youth through education and employment. Nigeria needs a national youth empowerment framework that combines skills acquisition, digital entrepreneurship, and moral reorientation. There must be constructive engagement at all strata of society with the youth. We must promote the right values of life and desist from recruiting the youth as political machines to wreak havoc on opponents.
What have been your happiest and saddest moments in life?
My happiest moment was being honoured internationally for my research and advocacy; realising that ideas born in Africa can influence global discourse. My saddest moment was witnessing preventable climate-related disasters in local communities, like the devastating 2022 Anambra floods, which underscored how policy gaps can turn nature’s warnings into tragedies.
What is your guiding principle?
My guiding principle is ‘Research must transform lives.’ I believe scholarship is not just for citations but for change. The Green Belt Movement in Kenya, founded by Professor Wangari Maathai, showed that grassroots environmental action can also be a form of democratic empowerment. I strive to follow that model where knowledge, activism, and policy come together for the protection of people and the planet.
