Diri Declares Bayelsa Nigeria’s Most Climate-impacted State

Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has described Bayelsa as the most climate-affected state in Nigeria, emphasising the urgent need for targeted intervention.

He made this assertion while receiving a delegation from the National Climate Change Secretariat, led by its Director General, Dr Nkiruka Maduekwe, at Government House, Yenagoa.

Highlighting the severe impact of climate change on Bayelsa, Diri urged the delegation to extensively assess the state’s mangrove ecosystems, not just in Nembe but also in Brass, Southern Ijaw, and Ekeremor local government areas.

In a statement by the chief press secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with the Climate Change Secretariat and pledged to review the Climate Change Act for domestication in line with Bayelsa’s unique environmental challenges.

The governor also called for fairness, insisting Bayelsa must receive its rightful share of climate-related interventions.

He said: “We hold this visit dearly because we are in an area where you can tell we are number one on the effect of climate change in Nigeria. So, we will work with you and collaborate with you.

“There is so much we can do together. The laws are important, but we should not just adopt the Climate Change Act. We will look at it and adapt it to our circumstances.

“Bayelsa is at the centre of flooding, oil exploration and coastal erosion. So, on everything about climate change and carbon credit, Bayelsa is your number one state.”

The director general and chief executive officer of the National Climate Change Secretariat, Dr Nkiruka Maduekwe, said the team was in Bayelsa to examine its mangrove, given that the mangroves in the Niger Delta region had been identified as the largest in Africa.

She said the visit was necessary to identify areas where the state could provide the necessary support.

She appealed to Bayelsa to adopt the climate change law, assuring that the agency was willing to work with the state to tackle issues associated with climate change.