Deborah Elesie

Deborah Elesie is a sustainability advocate, agroforestry researcher, and climate educator passionate about advancing ecological restoration, carbon farming, and sustainable agriculture. She currently serves as Technical Support Officer at the Savannah Climate Action Initiative (SAVCLIM-AFRICA), contributing to tree planting, land restoration, and farmer education in Nigeria’s drylands.

Previously, as Research Lead at Eco Clean Active Initiative, she directed the Most Affected People and Areas (MAPA) Project, training youth volunteers who worked with farmers across northern Nigeria to promote agroecology, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. Her MSc in Agroforestry and Food Security—funded through the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship—focused on agroecological practices, food security, and agrobiodiversity, with research support from the ICRAF Metric Project.

Deborah has raised over a thousand seedlings during her undergraduate and graduate studies, applying her forestry background to hands-on restoration and community-based projects. She has led four environmental initiatives under the Green Mobilisation Initiative, earning recognition from UNEP and other partners.

Beyond research, she actively shares knowledge through her YouTube channel and her newsletter, Agro-Sustainable Digest, where she educates farmers and youth on climate-smart and healthy agricultural practices.

Her leadership has been recognized globally: she was named Best Volunteer of the Year by the Africa Youth Empowerment and Capacity Building Academy (2022), selected as a Young Africa Landscape Leader, and in 2025 became a UPG Sustainability Leader.

Deborah is committed to building resilient food systems and mentoring the next generation of climate leaders.