Some civil society organisations in the Niger Delta have called for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s climate change response structure.
The call was made at the ongoing Third Niger Delta Annual Climate Change Conference in Port Harcourt on Friday, July 11, 2025.
In his address, the Convener, Mr. Friday Nbani, said that the move would give more meaning to the campaign against climate change and environmental crisis.
At the conference organised by the Leadership Initiative for Transformation, Nbani urged the National Council on Climate Change to evolve policies that would have positive impact across the country.
The Convener said that the conference aimed to aggregate the voices of Niger Delta stakeholders ahead of the COP30 conference scheduled to hold in Brasil in November.
He said that the annual conference was a vital forum for regional advocacy and strategy on climate change and environmental challenges.
Nbani, also the Director, Lekeh Development Foundation, said that issues of climate change should be given attention at the state and local government levels.
“We need state and local government climate change desks to capture the realities on the ground, especially in the rural communities where degradation is severe and undocumented.
“Niger Delta communities can no longer farm or fish. This is why we must build solidarity and unity, our voices must be heard at the national and global levels.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Ken Henshaw, the Executive Director, We the People, called for an urgent transition from the use of fossil fuels.
Henshaw faulted multinational oil corporations for the region’s environmental challenges and criticised the country’s economic dependence on crude oil.
“As a country, if we refuse to break away from fossil fuel, we will be contributing to the climate crisis.
“We need an economy that is not tied to oil and gas, communities need direct support and protection from climate-related disasters,” he said.
Also speaking, Anthony Hayward, a lawyer, said that Niger Delta communities had shown remarkable courage in their quest for environmental justice.
He joined the call to decentralise Nigeria’s climate governance structure and the need for reparations to oil-producing communities.
The lawyer said that Nigeria should be more proactive about the campaign against environmental pollution by ensuring that the positions of the law prevailed at all times.
The event brought together environmental activists, legal experts, civil society leaders, and impacted community representatives, among others.
By Precious Akutamadu