Mangroves are under serious threat in Nigeria, especially across the Niger Delta region. These unique trees particularly in the coastal areas of Bayelsa State act as shields against flooding, habitat for aquatic lives and natural carbon sinks that help fight climate change.
Unfortunately, decades of oil spills, deforestation, and unchecked development have wiped out large areas of mangroves, weakening coastal resilience and increasing environmental degradation.
Stakeholders in the advocacy of restoring mangrove forests in the Niger Delta, have emphasised that replanting and protecting these ecosystems is not only good for the planet and the people, but can also bring back lost livelihoods for fishing communities, improve food security, and slow shoreline erosion that threatens homes and farmlands in the region.
They also emphasised on the need to save the coastal forests which offer a natural and cost-effective defense line, before it is too late especially at the period the country is facing stronger storms and rising sea level.
The vice chancellor, Hensard University in Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State, Prof. Dileep Kumar, during a workshop tagged, “Capacity Building Training for Community Women and Youth on Mangroves Restoration”, noted that there is an intention to make a real difference by harnessing a movement of restoring mangroves to handle climate action in the Niger Delta.
He stated that the objectives of the capacity building workshop was to open new doors of opportunities to a number of women and youths with the skills to restore mangroves.
Speaking on mangroves as the backbone of the coastal resilience, a board member of Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), Prof. Aduabobo Ibitoru-Hart, noted that mangroves shield humans from erosion, nurturing biodiversity, and combating climate change. “Yet, humans face relentless threats from deforestation and unsustainable practices”, he said.
He also called for a collaboration between CSDevNet, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and Hensard University as a bold step toward reversing the loss, in line with Nigeria’s climate goals and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 5 on Gender Equality.
“By focusing on women, we champion gender equity, recognizing their critical role in conservation and community resilience. We can restore a pilot mangrove site, develop a community action plan, and lay the foundation for ongoing restoration efforts”, he said.
Also, the national coordinator of CSDevNet, Mr Stephen Abu, stated that Nigeria is still faced with the issue of climate change, which must be addressed, adding that planting of trees still remains a good way to tackle climate action on the part of human beings.
