Forests are more than just landscapes filled with trees. They are home to wildlife, support livelihoods, protect ecosystems, store carbon, regulate water systems and provide spaces where communities connect with nature. Yet across Nigeria, forests and other natural ecosystems continue to face growing pressure from deforestation, land degradation, unsustainable resource use, urban expansion and climate change.
Nigeria has lost an estimated 35 percent of its forest cover in the last two decades, and continues to experience deforestation rates of about 350,000 to 400,000 hectares per year. In the South West alone, forest fragmentation is accelerating, with some states retaining less than 10 percent of their original forest cover. These losses directly affect biodiversity, rainfall patterns, soil fertility and rural livelihoods.
The challenge is urgent. But so is the opportunity to act.
Young people across Nigeria are already responding by planting trees, restoring ecosystems, protecting wildlife, educating their communities, promoting sustainable agriculture, creating nature-based experiences and developing innovative solutions to environmental challenges. What is often missing is not passion, but access to the networks, knowledge, mentorship and platforms needed to take that work further.
This is where Youth4Forests comes in.
A Summit for Young People, by Young People
Team Illuminate will host the 2026 Planeteer Summit – Youth4Forests, bringing together young environmentalists, conservation advocates, students, researchers and emerging changemakers from across South West Nigeria.
The regional summit is part of the Planeteer Alliance, a global youth environmental movement created by the Captain Planet Foundation, a US-based organization working to catalyse youth-led environmental action around the world.
Youth4Forests is one of 15 Planeteer Summits taking place globally, creating an opportunity for young people in Nigeria to connect their local environmental work to a wider international movement.
The summit will take place at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), bringing together selected delegates from across the South West for meaningful conversations, learning and collaboration around the future of forests and ecosystems.
More Than a Conference
Youth4Forests is designed to be an experience, not just another event where participants sit, listen and leave.
The in-person programme on the 25th will combine expert-led sessions with interactive peer learning and co-creation activities. Participants will have the opportunity to learn directly from conservation practitioners, exchange experiences with other young leaders and explore practical approaches to protecting and restoring ecosystems.
One of the highlights will be a forest tour at the IITA Forest Centre, giving participants the chance to step outside the conference room and experience the ecosystems they are working to protect.
The summit will also feature a Career Café, connecting young people with conservation and environmental professionals to explore careers, pathways and opportunities within the growing environmental sector.
And because young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow but are already creating change today, Youth4Forests will also celebrate and recognise young conservation leaders whose initiatives are helping to revitalise ecosystems and inspire action in their communities. As part of this recognition, outstanding participants will be honoured with the Youth4Forests Changemaker Award, celebrating exceptional impact, leadership and commitment to environmental restoration.
Taking the Conversation Global
The experience will continue beyond the physical gathering.
On the 26th, Youth4Forests will host a virtual session bringing participants together with global youth conservation leaders and environmental voices.
This session will provide an opportunity to look beyond Nigeria, learn from youth-led conservation efforts in different parts of the world, and explore how local action can contribute to a global movement for environmental protection.
Joining a Global Community
For participants, the summit is not simply an opportunity to attend an event. It is an entry point into something much bigger.
Youth4Forests participants will have the opportunity to join the Planeteer Alliance, a global community of young environmentalists working across different countries and environmental issues.
Through the Alliance, young people can access opportunities including trainings, grants, leadership development, networks and pathways to participate in global environmental negotiations and conversations.
For a young person who has ever wondered, “How do I take my environmental work to the next level?”, this community can be a starting point.
The Future of Forests Needs Young People
Forest conservation is not only a conversation for scientists, policymakers and conservation organisations. It is a conversation for everyone, and young people have a particularly important role to play.
They are living through the consequences of environmental degradation while also bringing new ideas, technologies, creative approaches and community-driven solutions to the table.
Youth4Forests seeks to create the space for those ideas to meet.
It is a space to learn from experts, learn from each other, explore nature, discover career possibilities, build friendships, find mentors, celebrate impact and imagine what stronger youth-led environmental action could look like.
Most importantly, it is an invitation to move from concern to action.
Stay Connected
The Youth4Forests journey continues beyond the summit.
Follow Team Illuminate on social media for updates, stories from Youth4Forests, and future opportunities to get involved in upcoming programmes and initiatives.