The scheme shall be pursued as a club in all the secondary schools, where all students will be mandated to be members. They shall conduct the following campaigns:

1. Tree planting campaign: – their study will target how to plant trees in our surroundings.
2. Waste disposal campaign: – students shall be taught how to dispose of their waste.
3. Bush burning campaign: – students shall be told of the consequences of bush burning.
4. Soil erosion control campaign: – where students shall be taught how to control erosion.

The Institute of Chartered Geographers of Nigeria is an independent and non-governmental organization established under the Act of Parliament, Cap 59 of 1990, saddled with the responsibility of regulating the study of geography and geomatics sciences in Nigeria. The Institute is duly registered and incorporated in Nigeria, and approved by the Federal Ministry of Education and the office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. In the year 2026, the Institute got its final registration with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Commercial Law Department, with Registration Number NG/TM/2026/417580, as the Institute of Chartered Geographers of Nigeria. Members stand to enjoy the benefits of the Institute like other professional Institutions in Nigeria if admitted.

The young ones of this generation are neglected in the aspect of professionalism, putting behind us the Holy instruction that says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. This is exactly what gave birth to the idea of the YOUNG GEOGRAPHERS. We deem it good to introduce into our society and to encourage the young ones at the secondary school level to see the study of GEOGRAPHY as one of the paramount and interesting subjects or courses of study after their O’ Level. Without the GEOGRAPHERS, there would be no human existence on the earth. We say God is the first “GEOGRAPHER”. Every other course of study emanated from the knowledge of GEOGRAPHY; without the GEOGRAPHERS, there would be nothing like business or recording of business transactions, so every man living on the surface of the earth is a GEOGRAPHER. The word GEOGRAPHY emanated from two Greek words, which are: “GEO” and “GRAPHOUS”. GEO simply means EARTH, while the GRAPHOUS means to DESCRIBE OR DESCRIPTION. The two put together give the concise definition of geography as the description of the earth.

However, today, geography is viewed as the study of spatial variation on the Earth’s surface and humankind’s relation to its environment. Of essential concern to a geographer are the spatial patterns and interrelationships of

• Climate
• Landforms
• Vegetation
• Soils
• Population
• Economic activities
• Political units, etc, either on a global scale or in a more limited area.

The discipline GEOGRAPHY has integrated with extensively specialized sciences such as Biology, Geology, Astronomy, Anthropology, Mining, Forestry, Environmental Science, Agriculture, Hydrology, Ecology, Survey, and Aviation to form specialized branches such as agricultural geography, biogeography (photo-geography and zoogeography), climatology, etc.
Geography as a field of study has the following subdivisions: Mathematical Geography, Physical Geography, and Human Geography, which is widely recognized and accepted by all and is of significance to all humans as a result of the following:

1. Geography exposes humans to the different careers in life from which we can earn a living.
2. Geography enables humans to understand what goes on his immediate environment and beyond.
3. Geography helps humans to know more about the various things in their physical environment and their importance to their lives.
4. Geography as a course of study exposes humans and broadens our knowledge and understanding about other fields of study in higher learning, such as the arts, social sciences, and the main or core sciences.
5. Geography as a field of study gives us full ideas of where to site or locate our structures, e.g., buildings, factories, or industries, roads, bridges, ports, and tract way.
6. Geography as a course of study makes humans good business experts, and so many others.

The above facts led the Council of the Institute of Chartered Geographers of Nigeria to introduce this SCHEME: “The Young Geographers” for youths in the secondary school starting from SSS I to SSS III, to allow them to identify themselves with this noble discipline of geography here in Nigeria and beyond. The Young Geographers scheme, we are certain, would build a formidable and undeterred generation of Geographers in Nigeria and beyond. It is a scheme that will make our youth embrace the study of Geography in our schools. The world needs no other profession save Geographers and the Economists. The whole world is in search of Geographers today, but the numbers are limited; here is an opportunity, through the Institute (ICGN), we will make them available.

An entry requirement to this cadre is simple. Students of SSS I to SSS III are the target. After their SSS III, they would be enlisted into the full membership of the Young Geographers, followed by a day seminar and an induction, and a certificate of membership issued as young Geographers will be issued to them, and this qualifies them to continue writing the various professional examinations of the Institute.

Registration fee for the Young Geographers cadre is N3,200 (Three Thousand two hundred naira only). Breakdown of the three thousand two-hundred-naira registration is as follows;

1. Registration fee:  N3,000.00
2. Application form sold for: N 1000.00
3. Annual Subscription: N 200.00

Total: N4,200.00

All interested students should register with the school principal or his vice, as the case may be. ICGN will expose you and also give you an easier way of entry into any of the Nigerian Universities of your choice, as you have direct contact with some of the HODs of Universities and Colleges of Education and Polytechnics who are bona fide members of the Institution. Do not hesitate to register with the Institute, as we are told that “opportunity comes but once”.
The benefits of full identification as a registered member of the ICGN Young Geographers:

1. You have the opportunity to attend the Young Geographers Seminar organized by the Institute every year.
2. You have the opportunity of meeting with some of the renowned lecturers of universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.
3. You have the opportunity of meeting with some of the professors of the Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education of your choice during our seasonal programmes
4. You will have an edge over your colleagues who are not members of the Young Geographers to secure admission either into a university, polytechnic, or College of Education.You will have access to our biannual journal, The Cardinal Point, at an affordable price.
5. You will have the opportunity to secure a better job through the assistance of the chartered members of the Institute.
6. Your certificate is recognized and approved by the Federal Ministry of Education. It can be used in addition to your SSCE to secure admission to a university, polytechnic, or College of Education to study any Geography-related course.
7. To crown it all – THE SKY IS YOUR LIMIT.

Institute of Chartered  Geographers of Nigeria
Bz 1 &2 Sarduana Crescent
Off Junction Road
P.O. Box 4333, Kaduna.
G.S.M: 07045000064
www.icgn.org.ng

Prof. Christopher O. Balogun Fcg, FCDipl
Director-General/CO