The Foundation for Climate Action and Agriculture Initiative (FCAAI) is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the Youth Climate Resilient Network (YCRN) Fellowship – Cohort 1, a fully online fellowship designed to build a national pipeline of youth-led climate problem-solvers across Nigeria.
YCRN was born out of a clear and urgent need: climate-related shocks are increasingly disrupting lives and livelihoods across Nigerian communities, yet many local communities still lack practical, community-rooted capacity to translate climate risks into solutions that are affordable, maintainable, and locally adaptable. The fellowship responds to this gap by equipping youth to co-create practical, low-cost, and locally adaptable solutions using design thinking, in partnership with the communities they serve.
Application Window: 10 March 2026 – 31 March 2026 (23:59 WAT)
Delivery Mode: Fully Online (Nigeria-wide)
Fellowship Duration: 12 weeks (April–July 2026; final dates shared with selected fellows)
1) About the Fellowship
The Youth Climate Resilient Network (YCRN) is a structured fellowship programme that recruits, trains, and equips young people across Nigeria to identify climate challenges in their immediate communities and design solutions that can be tested, improved, and prepared for real-world implementation.
Fellows will learn and apply design thinking to:
- conduct community discovery and climate risk mapping
- define priority climate problems and root causes
- co-create solutions with community stakeholders
- build and test early prototypes using local resources
- develop pilot-ready plans with simple monitoring indicators
- present solutions through a public online Demo Day
YCRN prioritises solutions that communities can sustain—solutions that work within real constraints, and that can be adapted across similar contexts.
2) Fellowship Focus Areas
Applicants may choose one climate challenge relevant to their community, such as:
- flooding risk, drainage breakdown, and community preparedness
- erosion and coastal vulnerability
- heat stress and climate-health risks
- water stress, water safety, and community water resilience
- waste management and plastic pollution affecting climate and public health
- climate-smart agriculture, soil health, and livelihood resilience
- nature-based solutions to protect ecosystems and reduce risk
Applicants do not need an existing solution. The fellowship supports the entire pathway from problem definition to pilot readiness.
3) Who Should Apply (Eligibility)
Applicants must:
- Be based in Nigeria and demonstrate a strong link to a local community (residence, work, service, or sustained engagement).
- Be within the youth age bracket (approximately 18–35).
- Commit to full participation across the 12-week online fellowship, including weekly sessions and assignments.
- Have access to a smartphone or laptop and stable enough internet for live sessions and submissions.
- Demonstrate interest in ethical community engagement and collaborative problem-solving.
FCAAI encourages applications from: women, persons with disabilities, and youth from climate-exposed and underserved communities.
4) What Selected Fellows Will Receive
Fellows will benefit from:
- structured weekly learning sessions delivered fully online
- mentorship and guided feedback on weekly deliverables
- peer learning studios and accountability groups
- practical tools and templates for discovery, prototyping, testing, and planning
- opportunity to present solutions during a public online Demo Day
- fellowship completion certificate (subject to meeting completion requirements)
- membership of the YCRN alumni network for continued collaboration and future opportunities
Where resources permit, limited support for prototyping and testing may be provided through in-kind tools or micro-implementation support. This will be communicated to selected fellows.
5) Programme Format and Time Commitment
- Format: fully online learning and coaching
- Weekly commitment: one training session (approximately 90 minutes) and one peer studio session (approximately 60 minutes)
- Independent work: local community engagement and assignments (flexible scheduling)
- Deliverables: weekly submissions using standard templates
6) How to Apply
Interested applicants should complete the online application form within the application window.
Registration Link
Applicants will be asked to provide:
- personal and contact information
- community location and community connection
- a short description of the climate challenge they want to address
- motivation and commitment statement
- optional: a one-minute video introduction
7) Selection Process and Criteria
Applications will be reviewed competitively. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for a brief online interview. Selection will prioritise:
- strength of community connection and legitimacy
- clarity and relevance of the climate challenge identified
- practicality and feasibility orientation
- commitment and availability
- leadership and collaboration potential
- diversity and inclusion across cohort composition
8) Key Dates
- Applications open: 10 March 2026
- Information Session 1: week of 16 March 2026
- Information Session 2: week of 23 March 2026
- Application deadline: 31 March 2026 (23:59 WAT)
- Shortlisting and review: 1–10 April 2026
- Interviews (if required): 6–12 April 2026
- Final selection and onboarding: by 15 April 2026
- Fellowship start: late April 2026 (exact date communicated to selected fellows)
9) Safeguarding and Code of Conduct
FCAAI is committed to safe, respectful, and inclusive participation. All fellows must adhere to safeguarding standards and ethical community engagement principles, including informed consent and respectful conduct. Full safeguarding guidance and reporting procedures will be provided during onboarding.
Apply Now
If you are ready to join a national network of youth building locally adaptable climate solutions that can scale, apply for YCRN Cohort 1 within the application window.
