By Tina Amanda
A delegation from Academic Associates PeaceWorks (AAPW) and key stakeholders, including the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) met with the Honourable Minister of Regional Development to present a policy brief addressing critical climate change challenges in the Niger Delta.
The meeting commenced with introductions before Air Commodore Darlington Abdullahi, Operational Security Component Coordinator at the Italian Shipping Academy Foundation (FAIMM), delivered the opening speech.
He provided an overview of the C7 project, highlighting its key recommendations on climate change, its impact on local communities, environmental concerns, and related security challenges.
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He also outlined the process behind the policy brief and proposed interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change in the region.
AAPW Project Manager, Isu Menidin and Deputy Executive Director Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo presented the core findings of the policy brief. Their presentation emphasized the increasing conflicts in coastal communities due to climate change and the necessity of addressing blue economy-related challenges as a sustainable development strategy.
They also noted that the C7 project is actively operating in five states within the Niger Delta.
In response, the Honourable Minister identified rising sea levels as the most urgent environmental challenge in the Niger Delta, citing the destruction of mangroves by human activities as another significant issue.
He reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to supporting climate action initiatives and stressed the importance of leveraging the carbon market for climate financing.
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He further assured the delegation that the ministry would explore ways to incorporate relevant interventions into the next budget cycle.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from Success Munachimso Nwanedo, Senior Communications Officer at AAPW, who expressed appreciation to the Minister for his engagement and commitment to exploring actionable support mechanisms for the initiative.
