A Fun Agroforestry & School Gardening Guide for Young Learners
The future of our planet depends largely on how we treat our environment today and perhaps more importantly, how we prepare the next generation to care for it. Across Nigeria, the impact of climate change, deforestation, and poor soil health is being felt more deeply than ever before. Yet, solutions exist that are rooted not only in science but in local knowledge, sustainability, and community action.
This learning manual on agroforestry and school gardening for Nigerian schoolchildren is a timely and necessary resource. It introduces young minds to the powerful principles of agroecology in a way that is fun, practical, and deeply relevant to their everyday lives. It goes beyond just teaching how to grow food; it fosters environmental responsibility, critical thinking, and a strong sense of stewardship for
the land. Agroforestry, as presented in this guide, is more than a farming technique, it is a pathway to resilience. By growing trees and food together, we improve soil health, conserve water, fight desertification, and secure livelihoods for communities. Teaching this in schools enables children to become agents of change within their homes, their communities, and eventually, the wider society.
We commend the collaborative efforts of the ECOWAS Commission and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation for their technical and financial support, which made this manual possible. We also celebrate our partners, the educators, farmers, and communities who will bring these pages to life in classrooms and gardens across the country.
Let this manual inspire curiosity, action, and hope in every child who opens its pages. The seeds of change have been planted, may they grow strong and wide.