Over 100 experts from more than 40 countries are meeting in Bilbao, Spain this week for the first meeting of authors and review editors of the “2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers (SLCF)”. This will be the first report released by IPCC in the seventh assessment cycle and it is being prepared by the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI).
IPCC Co-Chair of the Task Force on Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI), Takeshi Enoki
The “2027 Methodology Report” is expected to provide guidance on anthropogenic emissions for Short-lived Climate Forcers, not including secondary human-induced substances.
“The report aims to provide clear guidance on measuring emissions from key short-lived climate forcing substances, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and others, which significantly contribute to global and regional air quality and climate change,” said Takeshi Enoki, one of the Co-Chairs of the TFI.
This week’s meeting in Bilbao marks the beginning of the drafting process of this Methodology Report which is scheduled to be released in March 2027. The Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors at this meeting will start developing the report based on the outline agreed by the Panel during its 61st Session held in Sofia, Bulgaria in July/August 2024.
“We are excited to begin work on this report with a diverse group of experts selected from the 394 nominations we received. Their work will be important for enhancing the data used in climate models,” said Mazhar Hayat, TFI Co-Chair.
Following the Panel’s 61st Session, the IPCC called for nominations of experts to act as authors and review editors of the 2027 Methodology Report in August 2024. The TFI Bureau, also known as the Task Force Bureau, in consultation with relevant Working Group Co-Chairs selected the report’s Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors. In their selection, they considered scientific and technical expertise, geographical and gender balance in line with Appendix A to the Principles Governing IPCC Work.
A preliminary list of the Authors for the 2027 Methodology Report is available here.
Following the Lead Author Meeting, there will be an outreach event hosted by the Spanish Climate Change Office at the Bizkaia Aretoa in Bilbao on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the country by year 2030, with a renewed focus on expanding healthcare services and community engagement.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako
This was made known by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, during the 2025 World TB Day Community Outreach held at Sauka Village, Airport Road Abuja on Monday, March 24.
The Minister highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria is not left behind in the global TB eradication agenda by 2030.
“The President has directed and has provided a new field environment for the primary healthcare revitalisation, with over 10,000 primary healthcare centres currently being upgraded.
“In addition, we are training over 120,000 health workers at advanced levels to strengthen TB control efforts,” he said.
The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, also donated N1 billion from her NGO, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), to strengthen TB control efforts nationwide.
Mrs Tinubu said the disease is a deadly one that requires health emergency and urgent attention, urging Nigerians to get tested and know their TB status.
She said ending TB by 2030 is a collective responsibility of both government, traditional and religious leaders, legislators, the youth, healthcare workers, private sector organisations, NGOs, all citizens as stakeholders and international partners.
“The statistics from the World Health Organidation (WHO) 2024 Global TB report are alarming. In Nigeria, one person dies of TB every seven minutes.
“This means that, in the short time we will spend at this event, many more lives will be lost, if we do not act swiftly and decisively.
“The high prevalence of TB in Nigeria is unacceptable and all hands must be on deck to fight the treatable and curable airborne disease.
“At this juncture, I would like to pledge an additional sum of One Billion Naira from the RHI towards the fight against Tuberculosis in Nigeria,” she said.
The first lady who is also the Global and National Stop TB Champion, reaffirmed her commitment towards addressing the scourge of TB in the nation.
“I will continue to advocate for increased funding and policy reforms to strengthen TB control efforts and mobilise resources and partnerships to support TB awareness and treatment programmes.
“In addition, I will continue to amplify the voices of TB survivors and fight against stigma and discrimination, and ensure that women, children, and marginalized groups have equal access to TB care,” Mrs Tinubu said.
She commended the government for prioritising and expanding TB testing and treatment centres across the nation with the aim of ensuring that TB treatment remains free and accessible to all.
She said such development would strengthen community-based healthcare system to reach the most vulnerable populations, and enhance funding and partnerships to scale up TB control programmes.
In direct response to the request of the Sapeyi of Garki, Alhaji Dr Usman Nga Kupi for a Primary Health Centre in Sauka Community, the first lady assured that it would be done as she had a quick discussion with the Minister on the issue.
There was a health talk on the causes, symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Tuberculosis and testing for the disease at the Community Outreach.
In his remarks, the WHO representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, raised concerns over the risk of losing two decades of progress against TB due to global funding cuts.
“Today we face the existential threat of losing the huge gains the world has made against TB over the past 20 years due to funding cuts, which have started to disrupt access to services for prevention, screening, and treatment for people with TB,” he said.
Despite this challenge, Mulombo commended Nigeria’s progress, citing a 300 per cent increase in TB case notifications over the past five years:
“In a space of five years, Nigeria has scaled up many innovations and interventions that have resulted in the huge numbers of TB cases notified from 138,583 in 2020 during the pandemic year to 418,198 in 2024,” he said.
He warned that any disruptions to TB services could have fatal consequences for thousands of Nigerians affected by the disease.
However, Dr Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, Acting Board Chair of the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, stressed that continuous investment, increased public awareness, and stronger community engagement would be crucial in achieving a TB-free Nigeria by 2030.
The theme for the 2025 World TB Day is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver” with the local slogan “We Fit Do Am”.
The European Commission approved a €5 billion ($5.4 billion) German government initiative on Monday, March 24, 2025, to help businesses decarbonise their production processes.
European Commission Vice President, Teresa Ribera
Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s Vice President for a clear, just, and competitive transition, stated that the scheme would support projects aimed at significantly reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions in Germany.
“This initiative will contribute to the EU’s climate neutrality goal by 2050, while minimising potential competition distortions,” Ribera said.
The funding would assist German companies in reducing CO2 emissions through measures such as electrification, hydrogen use, carbon capture, and improved energy efficiency.
Businesses in sectors like chemistry, construction, and food, which were subject to the EU Emissions Trading System, would benefit from this scheme.
To qualify, projects must achieve a 60 per cent emissions reduction within three years and a 90 per cent reduction by the project’s conclusion.
Dangote Cement Plc has achieved a “B” score in climate change and water security disclosures released by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
Dangote Cement
This is contained in a statement by the Managing Director and Chief Executive, Dangote Cement, Mr. Arvind Pathak, on Monday, March 24, 2025, in Lagos.
The CDP is the world’s largest, most comprehensive dataset on environmental action which empowers investors, companies, cities, and national and regional governments to make earth-positive decisions.
Pathak said Dangote Cement’s score on water security which was C was upgraded to B.
He added that the company’s commitment to supporting a climate resilient future was demonstrated in its climate change score of B in 2024.
Pathak described the upgraded rating as a testament to Dangote Cement’s commitment to transparency, governance, and measurable actions towards sustainability.
“The company has been disclosing its environmental practices annually through the CDP since 2018.
“We are proud to lead in Africa as one of few businesses to disclose through CDP.
“Our 2024 score is an outcome of ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, accelerate climate action, and promote sustainability across our business and its value chain,” he said.
The Head, Sustainability, Dangote Cement, Dr Igazeuma Okoroba, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who aligned with the Group’s Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy.
“This year’s results are evidence that our contribution to create a world where people, planet, and profit are truly balanced is paying off.
“Dangote Cement Plc, sub-Saharan Africa’s largest cement producer, operates in 10 African countries and is committed to decarbonisation.
“The company aims to meet its decarbonization targets through energy efficiency measures, adoption of supplementary cement materials, carbon offsets, and other sustainable practices,” Igazeuma said.
Global heating over this millennium could exceed previous estimates due to carbon cycle feedback loops. This is the conclusion of a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
The analysis shows that achieving the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C is only feasible under very low emission scenarios, and if climate sensitivity is lower than current best estimates. The paper is the first to make long-term projections over the next 1,000 years while accounting for currently established carbon cycle feedbacks, including methane.
“Our study demonstrates that even in emission scenarios typically considered ‘safe’, where global warming is generally considered to remain below 2°C, climate and carbon cycle feedbacks, like the thawing of permafrost, could lead to temperature increases substantially above this threshold,” says PIK scientist Christine Kaufhold, lead author of the paper published in Environmental Research Letters.
“We found that peak warming could be much higher than previously expected under low-to-moderate emission scenarios.”
The study projects the long-term impacts of human-induced climate change and underlines that even small changes in emissions could lead to far greater warming than previously anticipated, further complicating efforts to meet the Paris Agreement targets.
“This highlights the urgent need for even faster carbon reduction and removal efforts,” Kaufhold says.
Most studies are too short-term to capture peak warming, as they end by 2100 or 2300. By running longer simulations and incorporating all major carbon cycle feedbacks, including the methane cycle, the researchers were able to assess the potential additional warming from these feedbacks and estimate the possible peak warming.
The team used PIK’s newly developed Earth system model CLIMBER-X to simulate future climate scenarios over the next millennium under three low-to-moderate emissions trajectories – pathways that align with recent decarbonisation trends. CLIMBER-X integrates key physical, biological and geochemical processes, including atmospheric and oceanic conditions. It also represents an interactive carbon cycle, including methane, to simulate how the Earth system responds to different climate forcings, such as human-made greenhouse gas emissions.
The study’s simulations consider a range of equilibrium climate sensitivities (ECSs) between 2°C and 5°C, defined as “very likely” by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The ECS is a critical measure in climate science, estimating the global temperature rise associated with a doubling of CO₂ concentrations.
“Our results show that the Paris Agreement’s goal is only achievable under very low emission scenarios and if the ECS is lower than current best estimates of 3°C,” says PIK scientist Matteo Willeit, co-author of the study. “If the ECS exceeds 3°C, carbon reduction must accelerate even more quickly than previously thought to keep the Paris target within reach.”
The paper highlights the important role ECS plays in shaping future climate outcomes while revealing the risks of failing to accurately estimate ECS. It emphasises the urgent need to more accurately quantify this metric and better constrain it.
“Our research makes it unmistakably clear: today’s actions will determine the future of life on this planet for centuries to come,” submits PIK director Johan Rockström, co-author of the paper.
Rockstrom adds: “The window for limiting global warming to below 2°C is rapidly closing. We are already seeing signs that the Earth system is losing resilience, which may trigger feedbacks that increase climate sensitivity, accelerate warming and increase deviations from predicted trends. To secure a liveable future, we must urgently step up our efforts to reduce emissions. The Paris Agreement’s goal is not just a political target, it is a fundamental physical limit.”
The Airbus Foundation and Solar Impulse Foundation have launched a three-year partnership aimed at driving global progress on sustainability through fostering innovation and collaboration. The partnership is dedicated to identifying and accelerating the adoption of scalable nature-based projects that address pressing global challenges.
Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation
Through the partnership, successful applicants will have access to a wealth of resources including Airbus’ aerospace capabilities, such as satellite data for earth observation and helicopters for efficient aerial assessment and verification. These capabilities will enable the selected projects to address critical societal issues, from ecosystem degradation to water security and natural disaster risk to solutions like satellite environmental monitoring systems.
Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, says: “By combining aerospace technology with nature-based solutions, we can turn innovation into impact. Our partnership with the Airbus Foundation demonstrates how advanced capabilities like satellite imagery can help restore ecosystems, support economic development, and build climate resilience where it’s needed most.”
Solar Impulse Foundation will deliver expertise in identifying, assessing and promoting nature-based solutions to achieve the greatest impact. They will provide access to an extensive network of cleantech organisations and play an advocacy role in engaging with decision makers to promote sustainable policy change.
Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer and Chair of the Airbus Foundation, Julie Kitcher, says: “Aerospace technologies allow us to unlock information about our planet that we cannot access from the ground. Using Airbus’ expertise in satellites and helicopters, we’re committed to empowering innovators and researchers to develop solutions that address pressing environmental and social challenges. The Solar Impulse Foundation has a high level of expertise in supporting climate projects and through this partnership, we are aiming to create new pathways for innovative projects to increase climate resilience and support local communities.”
From April 1, 2025, the two foundations will actively seek proposals that can benefit from aerospace capabilities to promote nature-based solutions. The selected projects will receive €10,000 in seed funding and have access to technical expertise to help accelerate their impact.
The partnership reportedly aligns with the Airbus Foundation’s mission to collaborate with key stakeholders to innovate environmental solutions using the unique capabilities of Airbus technologies.
By providing access to critical data, cutting-edge tools, and specialised resources, the partnership will enable communities to better anticipate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, according to the promoters.
In spite of concerted partnerships to stamp out tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, stakeholders are worried it still kills thousands in the country.
Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare
According to the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), the disease, discovered 143 years ago, claims 71,000 lives annually in Nigeria, accounting for 18 percent of TB-related deaths in Africa.
When the late Malam Ibrahim Yusuf, a 32-year-old mechanic in No Man’s Land, Fagge Local Government Area, Kano State, first developed a persistent cough, he dismissed it as a minor infection.
His wife, Mrs. Safiya Ibrahim, recounted how his condition deteriorated over time.
“By the time we finally visited the health facility, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in its advanced stage.
“Despite undergoing treatment, my husband died three months later, leaving behind me and our three children,” she narrated.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), TB is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
It primarily affects the lungs but can spread to other organs such as the brain, spine and kidneys.
TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings.
Experts say there are two types of TB – Latent TB, where the bacteria remain inactive, causing no symptoms and making the person non-contagious, and Active TB – where the bacteria multiply, leading to a persistent cough, weight loss, night sweats, fever and fatigue.
The latter is contagious and requires immediate treatment.
Medical professionals say TB is curable with a six-month course of antibiotics, including drugs like isoniazid and rifampicin.
They say the BCG vaccine offers partial protection, especially for children, while early diagnosis through tests like GeneXpert and sputum microscopy is crucial in preventing transmission.
Despite medical advances, TB remains a major public health crisis in Nigeria.
Ibrahim’s story is just one among thousands in Nigeria, where TB remains a leading cause of death despite being preventable and curable.
In 2023 alone, 499,000 Nigerians were diagnosed with TB – five people every minute.
However, only 60 percent of cases were detected, meaning hundreds of thousands remain undiagnosed, posing a risk of further transmission.
Nigeria is also battling a rise in Multidrug-Resistant TB (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (XDR-TB).
MDR-TB occurs when TB bacteria become resistant to first-line drugs like isoniazid and rifampicin, making treatment longer, more expensive and less effective.
According to WHO, no fewer than 21,000 Nigerians develop MDR-TB each year, but only about 2,600 receive proper treatment due to funding shortages, limited diagnostic tools and inadequate second-line medications.
Dr Adesigbin Clement Olufemi, Head of the Programmatic Management of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (PMDT), NTBLCP, provided insights.
“Many patients start treatment but struggle to complete the regimen due to side effects, stigma or financial hardship,” he said.
According to Olufemi, without urgent intervention, MDR-TB will become even harder to control.
Dr Shehu Labaran, NTBLCP Director, explained that although more than 50 percent of Nigerian health facilities provided TB treatment, access remained a major challenge, especially in rural areas.
“Only 48 percent of Local Government Areas (LGAs) have GeneXpert machines, the recommended rapid diagnostic tool for TB,” Labaran said.
By the aforementioned, 371 LGAs are left without advanced TB detection, leading to delays in diagnosis.
Dr Patricia Chinedu, a pulmonologist, said that many patients sought treatment from traditional healers or chemists first, losing valuable time before receiving proper care.
“By the time they reach a hospital, the disease has progressed to a life-threatening stage,” Chinedu warned.
Despite free TB treatment in Nigeria, the financial burden on patients is crippling.
NTBLCP reports that 71 percent of TB-affected households face catastrophic costs, spending more than 20 percent of their income on transportation, nutrition, and other indirect expenses.
For Mrs. Maryam Usman, a resident of Karmajiji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), her husband’s TB diagnosis forced her to make heartbreaking sacrifices.
“I had to stop my children’s schooling because we could not afford transport to the facility where my husband is undergoing TB treatment,” Usman said.
In many Nigerian communities, TB is still linked to curses, witchcraft or divine punishment.
This stigma prevents people from seeking early treatment, increasing the risk of transmission.
“My family stopped visiting me when they heard I had TB,” recounted Mr. Adamu Peter, a recovered TB patient from Waru community, FCT.
Dr Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, Acting Board Chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, underscored that awareness campaigns like “Check Am O!” were helping, but more work was needed.
Ogbuji-Ladipo said that the global End TB Strategy aimed to reduce TB deaths by 90 percent by 2030, but Nigeria still faced major hurdles.
The Nigerian Government, in collaboration with WHO, USAID and the Global Fund, had unveiled several initiatives.
These initiatives include free testing and treatment programmes, active case-finding campaigns in high-burden areas, and mobile clinic pilot projects to improve rural healthcare access.
However, a huge funding gap persists.
Mr. Tajudeen Ibrahim, Executive Country Coordinating Mechanism, Global Fund, disclosed that Nigeria required $404 million to effectively deliver TB treatment and services in 2025.
Ibrahim warned that the country’s TB drug supply for 2025 was already under strain, as some medications allocated for the year had been used to meet 2024’s treatment demands.
He said the $5 million funding gap caused by the U.S. Government’s recent executive order, affected active case-finding in 18 states between January and March.
“Given that 24 percent of Nigeria’s TB funding comes from external sources, with the U.S. contributing $22 million, there are concerns that detection and treatment efforts will suffer if funding issues persist,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, dismissed concerns from international agencies about possible drug shortages.
Pate stated that government analysis showed no imminent stockouts and stressed plans for direct and emergency procurement.
He also suggested that Nigeria might source medical supplies from economically similar countries instead of relying heavily on external donors.
Reaffirming the government’s steadfast commitment, Pate urged caution against misinformation from global organisations that might misrepresent Nigeria’s healthcare landscape.
As Nigeria marks World TB Day 2025, Yusuf’s story serves as a stark reminder that TB is not a disease of the past – it is a present-day crisis.
Note, NTBLCP says Nigerians can access information and resources by calling the toll-free helpline at 3340 or by dialing *3340#.
What’s more, stakeholders say that the government needs to increase funding, expand diagnostic tools, strengthen awareness, integrate TB services into primary healthcare, encourage early testing and fight TB-related stigma.
They say there is need to scale up TB programmes and push for policy change as well as ensuring that patients complete their treatment regimens.
The Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN) has urged global efforts to preserve glaciers, stressing their vital role in sustaining the world’s freshwater resources.
The disappearance of glaciers is considered by scientists as one of the clearest signs of climate change. Photo credit: beforeitsnews.com
APWEN Chairperson, Dr Atinuke Owolabi, made the appeal in a statement on Sunday, March 23, 2025, to commemorate World Water Day (WWD).
The 2025 WWD theme is “Glacier Preservation”.
Glaciers are vital – their meltwater provides drinking water, supports agriculture, powers industries, generates clean energy, and maintains healthy ecosystems.
Owolabi noted that, although Nigeria lacks glaciers, the melting of global ice masses impacts the nation through climate-related consequences.
She highlighted glaciers’ global influence on Nigeria and engineers’ roles to include water security and sea level rise.
Others are climate action, innovative water management and coastal protection.
“Glaciers act as reservoirs, regulating rivers. Melting glaciers disrupt water supplies, affecting farming, industries, and daily life, even in non-glacial regions.
“Melting increases sea levels, endangering coastal cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt with flooding, erosion, and loss of habitats,” she said.
Owolabi noted that sustainable engineering reduces greenhouse gases, tackling a root cause of glacier melting while efficient conservation ensures water security for the future.
“Resilient infrastructure defends communities from sea-level rise,” she said.
According to her, APWEN Lagos has empowered female engineers to lead such initiatives, promoting climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
“Together, we can foster innovation, sustainability, and resilience against climate change,” Owolabi said.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria, has kicked off a major initiative to advance sustainable landscape management through its Participatory Informed Landscape Approach (PILA).
Panel discussion session on supporting Nigeria’s EUDR
The inaugural PILA multi-stakeholder workshop, held in Calabar, Cross River State, from March 17 to 20, 2025, brought together key national and state-level actors to explore Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) strategies under the FOLUR Impact Programme (FOLUR-IP) Nigeria project. Discussions focused on landscape assessments, sustainable agri-food systems, and policy pathways for climate resilience.
Speaking at the opening event, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, Secretary to the Cross River State Government, emphasised agriculture’s pivotal role in the state’s Economic Masterplan, highlighting the region’s potential to drive food security and economic growth. He noted that youth restiveness is declining due to improved livelihoods supported by cocoa and palm oil value chains.
FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Mr. Dominique Koffy Kouacou, underscored PILA’s role in equipping stakeholders with tools for sustainable land use, climate adaptation, and policy engagement.
“These capacity-building opportunities are essential for fostering food security and resilient livelihoods, particularly in landscapes vulnerable to climate change,” he stated.
Participants also tackled critical policy issues, including compliance with the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR). PILA team lead, Laura Guarnieri, emphasised that the workshop aims to enhance awareness and empower stakeholders with practical ILM and agroecology strategies.
The PILA process integrates participatory assessments, dialogue, and consensus-building, with two key workshops planned for 2025. The second workshop will refine transition pathways, ensuring alignment with national policies and sustainability goals.
With these strategic engagements, Nigeria is making bold strides toward sustainable food systems, balancing ecological preservation with economic resilience.
The Obololi community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has received relief materials from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
Obololi spill site
This followed the Feb. 16, 2025, oil leak that discharged crude and polluted the River Nun in the community.
The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) had traced the source of the leak to a 16-inch Nun River-Kolo Creek underwater pipeline operated by SPDC.
Mr. Goodnews Okoi, Chairman, Obololi Community Development Committee (CDC), who confirmed this in an interview on Monday, March 24 in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, said that the items delivered during the weekend include drinking water and perishable fresh food items.
He explained that the community leaders immediately distributed the fish while other items would be distributed among the victims of the leak.
Okoi said that the Obololi River has been temporarily diverted (dammed) to create access to the underwater pipeline for examination by the joint investigation team.
He also said that a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the spill point has been scheduled for Monday.
JIV is a statutory investigation by regulators and impacted communiries after every spill incident to asertain the cause, volume of oil discharge and area of impact.
The NOSDRA had recommended a temporary diversion of the river to create access to the leak point on the pipeline.
They said this would make for an empirical examination to identify the cause of the leak.
The logistics challenge of mobilising heavy equipment including excarvators and swamp buggies to the coastal community has delayed the JIV.
The CDC Chairman regretted that the diversion of the Obololi River to pave way for the JIV was a disruption to the fishing activities and transportation in the area.
“The diversion of the river is causing some discomfort to us as a community but it is a sacrifice we are making to ascertain the real cause of the spill.
“We have gone through a lot since the spill occured on Feb. 16 and yet we remained patient until Shell brought the relief materials to show empathy to us,” Okoi said.
It was learnt from Obololi community sources that recovery of spilled crude into plastic tanks was already ongoing.
Mr. Michael Adande, a Spokesman for SPDC, said that the oil firm has shut oil feeds into the leaking pipeline.
Adande pledged to update our reporter on relief, remediation and response effort in due course.
