…Award reserved for exceptional leaders after rigorous screening – Organisers
From John Silas
Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Executive Chairman, Mayor Ameen Olawale Ibrahim Apanisile, has been selected as recipient of the prestigious Second Global Climate Change Champion Award.
The award will be presented at the 31st Conference of Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled to hold in Turkey on November 16, 2026.
The award is conferred by Nurses Across the Borders, an international humanitarian NGO headquartered in the United Kingdom with Observer Status at UNFCCC and Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Announcing the selection from its International Headquarters in the UK, Executive President of the organisation, Pastor Peters Omoragbon, said the award is not given lightly.
According to him, the Global Climate Change Champion Award is a product of a rigorous, multi-layered nationwide screening process, where candidates must show verifiable evidence of environmental stewardship, community impact, policy innovation and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals on climate action and public health.
He disclosed that the award is presented once every four years to ensure its prestige and enduring legacy.
The first recipient of the award was Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, who was honoured at COP 28 in Dubai, UAE.
Omoragbon noted that selecting a Governor as first recipient and an LCDA Chairman as second proves that transformative climate action is not exclusive to federal and state governments.
“Climate leadership can and must happen at the grassroots. Mayor Apanisile has proven that an LCDA Chairman can be a global climate champion,” he said.
Mayor Apanisile, a Town Planner with HND in Town and Regional Planning from Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, B.Sc in Building Survey and Property Management from University of Bolton, UK, and MBA in Finance from LAUTECH, is credited for his “New Deal” agenda focusing on infrastructure, healthcare, education, youth empowerment and environmental sustainability.
Under his leadership, Ikorodu North LCDA has initiated programmes on sustainable waste management, green infrastructure and climate-smart youth and women engagement.
Pastor Omoragbon said the award should serve as a wake-up call to other Local Government Chairmen across Nigeria to prioritize climate action.
“This award should make other chairmen ask themselves: What am I doing? What legacy am I building? Climate change is affecting our communities today through flooding, erosion and health crises,” he stated.
