ICT Centre – Bauchi State University Gadau (BASUG) Gadau Campus

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The Offshore Lab Launches Campus Green Belt Initiative with the Planting of 1000 Trees at Bauchi State University, Gadau

Gadau, Bauchi State — In a significant stride towards combating climate change and deforestation, The Offshore Lab has partnered with Bauchi State University, Gadau to launch the ambitious Campus Green Belt initiative at the university’s main campus in Gadau. This groundbreaking project, marked by the planting of 1,000 fruit-bearing trees and the installation of a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system, is set to transform the university's landscape and serve as a beacon of sustainable development across Nigeria. The Campus Green Belt initiative has been conceived to plant and nurture fruit-bearing trees in universities and institutions of learning across Nigeria. It aims to harness the energy and enthusiasm of Nigeria's youth to address the pressing environmental crises facing the country. With climate change and deforestation posing existential threats to the nation, this project represents a proactive step towards fostering a culture of environmental stewardship and sustainable practices within educational institutions. A Visionary Initiative The Offshore Lab, a renowned project delivery contractor and incubator for innovative solutions, has designed the Campus Green Belt initiative to leverage the potential of young people in driving meaningful and sustainable change. By engaging students in the planning, planting, and maintenance of the trees, the project not only aims to create a greener campus but also to instil a deep sense of environmental responsibility and activism among the youth. "Our goal is to create a sustainable and scalable model that can be replicated across educational institutions in Nigeria," said Emeka Obiwulu, CEO of The Offshore Lab. "By involving students in every step of the process, we are empowering them to become the next generation of environmental leaders." Combating Climate Change and Deforestation Nigeria, like many other countries, is grappling with the devastating effects of climate change and widespread deforestation. The Campus Green Belt initiative addresses these challenges by promoting reforestation and sustainable agricultural practices. The 1,000 fruit-bearing trees planted on BASUG's main campus will not only enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon but also provide economic benefits to the community through the eventual harvest of fruits. The drip irrigation system installed as part of the project ensures the efficient use of water resources, a critical consideration in a region often affected by drought. This technology will help maintain the health and growth of the newly planted trees, demonstrating a practical application of sustainable agricultural techniques. Youth Empowerment and Education Central to the success of the Campus Green Belt initiative is its focus on youth empowerment. The project engages students in hands-on activities, providing them with practical skills and knowledge in environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture. Setting up student groups, workshops, seminars, and field training sessions are integral components of the initiative, offering students valuable learning experiences outside the traditional classroom setting. "The enthusiasm and dedication of the students have been truly inspiring," remarked Dr. Umar, a key facilitator of the project at BASUG. "I expect them to take ownership and take the lead, and my role will be supervisory”. “The active participation of the students not only ensures the success of this initiative but also lays the foundation for a generation of environmentally conscious citizens." A Collaborative Effort The launch of the Campus Green Belt initiative has been made possible through the collaboration of various stakeholders, including university leadership, local government officials, and community members. The support from the University leadership has been instrumental in providing a conducive platform for the project's implementation. According to the Vice Chancellor Prof. Fatima Tahir, the initiative came at the right time as the university always had the idea of establishing this orchard with such biodiversity and fruit-bearing trees. She said, “In as much as the university always had this idea of wanting to establish something like this, I must say that this is the conception of The Offshore Lab with the support of Shell Petroleum Development Company.” "We are proud to be the first university to host this innovative initiative," said Prof Tahir. "This project aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainable development and community engagement. We look forward to seeing its positive impact on our students and the wider community." A Model for the Future As the Campus Green Belt initiative takes root at BASUG, its proponents are hopeful that it will serve as a model for other institutions across Nigeria and beyond. The project's success demonstrates the power of youth-led action in addressing global environmental challenges and highlights the importance of integrating sustainability into educational frameworks. In a world increasingly threatened by environmental degradation, initiatives like Campus Green Belt offer a glimmer of hope and a roadmap for sustainable development. By empowering the youth and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility, The Offshore Lab and BASUG are making significant strides towards a greener, more resilient future.

Jun 14, 2024Read more

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In Benue’s IDP camp, a shipping container is redefining school for children

Low, heavy clouds pressed over the sky threatening to turn the already damp red earth from previous downpours to thick mud. As the low growls of thunder rumbled, 14-year-old Terkula Bemdoo hurried toward a bright blue container stationed proudly in front of the temporary tarpaulin shelters that littered the mega internally displaced persons (IDP) camp at the Mbayongo community in Benue’s Guma LGA. Inside, it was dry, lit, and offered solace from the rain that leaked into the tent he shared with his family. But the warmth from the container was beyond just shelter from the storm; it gave hope for a future. There was a teacher waiting inside. The last time Bemdoo attended school was 10 years ago in his community, before he arrived in the camp. He was displaced from his home by the frequent violent farmer-herder clashes that have come to grimly define Benue state. In the camp, going to school was impossible when the priority was simply finding the next meal. Staying healthy was a bigger challenge and Bemdoo knew from a young age that the route to achieving his dreams as a mathematician wasn’t going to be an easy experience. The only memory of school the 14-year-old had was that it “was so bad”. Benjamin Prosper, Bemdoo’s 15-year-old friend, recalled having to sit on mats to write. But SchoolBox, the containers, opened a new world to the young boys. The blue walls of the 40ft container came alive with murals — painted patterns winding like ribbons and silhouettes of children nursing their dreams in defiant, blues, reds, and yellows — softening the steel. Square windows cut neatly into its sides juxtaposed by transparent glass doors. The environment offered the children a glimpse of how dreams can be achieved as they waited their turn to learn. Inside, seats fitted with desks, a whiteboard, and fans hooked to the walls gave the feel of a real school. Solar panels sat atop a frame above, tilted like open wings, catching what light they could to power the classroom that felt less like a repurposed shipping crate and more like a place that belonged to its students “SchoolBox was born out of a sense of urgency,” Emeka Obiwulu, CEO of The Offshore Lab, the company behind the education project, told TheCable. “It was born out of a refusal to just accept that all of these millions of Nigerian children were just destined to grow up in limbo, without classrooms, without teachers, or even hope of a future. “It’s a way of bringing education to the margins without waiting for the perfect conditions. It’s like a handshake from the wider world to them.” A 2024 UNICEF report disclosed that Nigeria has around 18 million out-of-school children. This includes about 10.2 million primary school-age children and 8.1 million junior secondary school-age children. The crisis is compounded by increasing displacement in conflict-prone states due to prolonged insecurity SchoolBox was developed to address this challenge by supporting Nigeria’s formal education system particularly in IDP camps and regions affected by insecurity or temporary school closures. Each SchoolBox is a recycled and repurposed shipping container, transformed into a safe, solar-powered and fully functional classroom, ICT lab or water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facility. These modular units are relocatable using flatbeds and Hiab trucks, making them ideal for emergency education needs and transitional learning support. Obiwulu noted that shipping containers were chosen as temporary classrooms owing to their structural integrity and durability. GETTING LOCAL BUY-IN Patience John, an education expert, told TheCable that mobile classrooms are vital as a complementary strategy because they offer flexible, accessible education alternatives where traditional schooling is compromised. She added that it requires integration with existing systems and investment in infrastructure, training, and localised content to be truly effective. Obiwulu agreed with this viewpoint. For the CEO, it was one of the most successful hallmarks in implementing the project. By relying on the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM), The Offshore Lab was able to gather data of preexisting teachers in the camp without outsourcing the task of guiding students. “Starting off inspired a lot of the others (teachers) who hadn’t come out to volunteer themselves or identify themselves as of then to come out and do that,” he added. On a deployment level, Obiwulu said The Offshore Lab partnered with the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) and the state ministry of education to identify a nearby school and act as its proxy by offering teacher-training and exchange programmes between the school and the camp, as well as curriculum integration. Quarterly and monthly, an external supervisor from The Offshore Lab assesses the progress. “As much as we have the local buy in, we still have a role to play in ensuring that all of those things that we benchmarked are actually going through,” he explained, Obiwulu noted that catering to the 2,500 kids from the camp was, however, a challenge, especially with constraining resources. The containers are only equipped with 20 seats with only two units shipped to the camp as a pilot project. As such, students in key examination classes, mostly the final years of primary education, are prioritised, relying on information from the camp’s management. WHAT NEXT? Though the project took off in June, Obiwulu is looking to quickly spread this impact across Nigeria. He told TheCable the company is working on a batch of 10 more containers that would serve as an ICT lab for an orphanage in the Niger Delta. The CEO said he is banking on previous successes from similar projects carried out for energy companies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company to prove the importance of sustaining SchoolBox to future partners. “It will take us decades to get through,” Obiwulu said. He noted that the accessibility of SchoolBox would make it easier to “quickly reach every corner of the country”. “Every child deserves the chance to do maths, to read, to count, and to dream in his space. That tells them, ‘you really matter’, you know,” he added. “We design for the hardest place — the climate crisis hit places, the IDP camps, the flood isolated riverine areas, the deserted communities — places where infrastructure won’t go. “It’s working now based on our pilot, and we’re very hopeful our ambitious reac h of ‘no loss Nigeria’ can actually be reached.” Bagu Gloria, the assistant headteacher at the proxy school in the mega IDP camp, said the children now feel remembered and can now dream again. She hoped for the arrival of more containers so more children could taste the feeling of hope. The Cable Ng

Sep 15, 2025Read more