The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has emphasised the need for integrated strategies to ensure sustainable ecosystem restoration in the Niger Delta region.
The NDDC Director, Environmental Protection and Control, EPC, Engr. Onuoha Obeka stated this during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement under the auspices of the Niger Delta Consultative Forum in Port Harcourt.
Obeka said that the stakeholders’ engagement underscored the collective commitment of Niger Deltans towards revitalising and preserving the rich ecosystem of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
He stated: “The Niger Delta, known for its vibrant biodiversity and cultural heritage, faces numerous environmental challenges that threaten its sustainability. From oil spills and deforestation to climate change impacts, the need for practical, integrated strategies has never been more urgent.”
The Director observed that the consultative forum was birthed in 2021 with the view to driving the 2020-2030 UN decade of ecosystem restoration in the Niger Delta region. He said: “It provides an invaluable opportunity for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation. We are privileged to have experts from various fields – environmental scientists, policymakers, community leaders and advocates – who will share their insights and experiences.
“I hope that in the course of discussions, we will explore best practices, assess current challenges and develop actionable strategies that align with our shared vision for a sustainable Niger Delta.”
In his remarks, the Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonda, said the environment was necessary for all that we do because all acts of men impact the environment. He advised that all should be introspective when dealing with the environment and ensure that the environment was sustained and not damaged by providing solutions that would preserve the environment for future generations.
He recommended periodic environmental assessments, noting that all hands must be on deck to save the environment for future generations.
Giving a goodwill message, the Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Jamani Ejiro, stated that while appreciating the NDDC for being at the forefront of environmental restoration, the stakeholders present had a significant role to play in tackling the root causes of environmental degradation, such as gas flaring and illegal crude mining.
He stated that stringent laws should be implemented to tackle the pollution menace in the region, adding that it threatened critical infrastructure. He stressed: “There is a need for targeted intervention to tackle natural disasters, such as flooding, by implementing flood control measures, such as desilting drainages, coordinated dredging, and curtailing illegal building of structures along waterways.
Ejiro called for strict compliance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sherriff Oborevwori had implemented it in his state.
In his message, the Imo State Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Major Emenike highlighted factors that mitigate environmental degradation. He said it included educating the populace, planting trees and other preventive measures, taking remedial actions on flood sites, and sponsoring afforestation. “Others are massive education and support for orientation, urban renewal, curtailing oil and gas spillage, provision of adequate publicity, and a change in the mindset that will positively impact the environment.”
He added that the stakeholder’s meeting should be rotated among the states for balanced information distribution amongst stakeholders.
