The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has emphasized the need for a sustainable approach to conserve the country’s mangroves. At a one-day stakeholder engagement on Mangrove Governance in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, held in Port Harcourt.
The Director-General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, represented by the Director, Technical Programme, NCF, Adedamola Ogunsesan, Onoja noted that Nigeria’s mangroves are moving from third to fourth position globally due to degradation, resulting in loss of ecosystem services such as fishing, coastal protection, and medicinal value.
“If people cut a tree and remove it from the root, it does not regerminate. But if you cut it in a way that it can regrow, that means you are sustainably harvesting it.” The event, themed “Restoring and Managing Nigeria’s Mangrove for Environmental and Social Justice,” aimed to promote sustainable management of mangroves.
The NCF boss stressed that protecting mangroves is crucial not only for environmental reasons but also for the people who depend on them for their livelihoods.
The stakeholder engagement focused on establishing site support groups, such as Community-Based Organizations or smaller NGOs, to sustain activities after the conclusion of the engagement.
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Meanwhile, in his keynote address titled “Building Climate Resilience in the Niger Delta through Nature-Based Solutions,” the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, emphasized the importance of changing human behavior and attitude towards building climate resilience in the Niger Delta.
Zabbey noted that building resilience in the region is achievable through simple yet effective measures.
According to him, stopping the conversion of wetlands to other forms of development, preventing pollution, and sensitizing youths against artisanal oil refining are crucial steps towards achieving climate resilience.
“HYPREP’s efforts in restoring oil-degraded mangroves in Ogoni have shown promising results. The project, which began in 2023, has planted approximately 1.4 million different mangrove species and is nearing completion.”
Zabbey noted that the restoration effort is ecologically sound, with biodiversity recovery seamless due to the planting of different species in their natural zones.
“The project’s monitoring efforts have also shown encouraging signs of ecosystem recovery, with species such as periwinkle, oyster, crabs, and fishes beginning to return. Recently, a rare reptile, the Nile monitor, was sighted in the area, further indicating the project’s success.
Professor Zabbey who emphasized the importance of sustaining the effort and community involvement in conservation and restoration initiatives also highlighted the need for a template for sustainable mangrove management that can be replicated in the Niger Delta.
