The recent suspension of major US aid and development funding is affecting not just the world’s poorest people but its most threatened natural environments too. In 2023, USAID spent $375 million on conservation projects around the world. Stopping this flow of funds disrupts ongoing programmes but also erodes the trust and momentum built over years of hard work.
Wildlife conservation in Africa
This sudden shock has highlighted the vulnerability of relying too heavily on external and international funding, which can be unpredictable and subject to geopolitical shifts. With World Wildlife Day on Monday, March 3, 2025, focusing on sustainable finance for protecting nature, it’s a stern reminder that in Nigeria we need to shift from reliance on international donors to empowering local philanthropists and businesses to take the lead and pushing government authorities to adopt enabling policies.
As someone who has dedicated over 15 years to wildlife conservation in Nigeria, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of local funding alongside the impact of international recognition. This does not undermine the continuous need for international support. Some years ago, I was a finalist for the Tusk Conservation Awards, the world’s leading international prize recognising African conservation leaders. Nominations are open for this year’s awards, and I strongly recommend that my brothers and sisters in the conservation sector nominate their colleagues, peers, mentors, or other inspiring leaders at tuskawards.com.
While my recognition as a finalist brought the international spotlight and much needed credibility to our project in Yankari Game Reserve, it also raised our profile within my country Nigeria. Historically, government almost never provided much-needed investment for conservation because they don’t see the immediate returns, in the way they do from activities such as crude oil extraction. They don’t appreciate the unquantified returns through ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, security and many more. My nomination I believe was a wake-up call for Nigerians. It demonstrated that our work and what other colleagues were doing in conservation was not only legitimate but also worthy of global attention.
This national and international shift in perception due to the award had tangible benefits. Funding opportunities for our project increased. Partnerships became more accessible. It opened doors. It signaled to the world that Nigerian conservationists were as committed as their contemporaries around the world. Perhaps most importantly, it inspired confidence among local stakeholders, proving that conservation is not just a passion but a viable and impactful endeavor.
Nigerian philanthropists, businesses, and government officials are increasingly recognising the value of conservation and investing in it accordingly, though more needs to be done. When national parks and protected areas are well-managed, they can become engines of economic growth and development, providing jobs, supporting livelihoods, and attracting tourism and investment.
They also play a critical role in mitigating climate change while preserving biodiversity. When they are ignored, they can become potential breeding grounds for criminality and even terrorism. Boko Haram for instance grew from strength to strength out of the Sambisa Forest Reserve in north-east Nigeria.
African Nature Investors Foundation (ANI Foundation), the Nigerian-founded and led nonprofit where I now work, is focused on the sustainable management of protected areas of strategic biodiversity importance in partnership with government and communities. We believe that protected areas can be engines for local and regional development. We also aim to establish enabling conditions for private sector investment to sustain protected areas, reducing their dependency on philanthropy and government spending.
That is why we signed an agreement with the Nigeria National Park Service as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to co-manage Gashaka-Gumti National Park – Nigeria’s largest – and Okomu National Park. These agreements are the first of their kind for national park management in Nigeria and enable the very private sector investment we believe will be transformational for conservation.
Today, the majority of ANI Foundation’s funding is generated from the Nigerian private sector. This is a testament to the potential of African philanthropy. Nigeria and the rest of Africa have immense wealth that could easily fund all the continent’s biodiversity conservation activities if it were made a priority.
Local funding offers several advantages. It is more flexible; it understands the local context and often comes with fewer strings attached. It also fosters a sense of ownership and pride among Nigerians, demonstrating that we are capable of leading our own conservation efforts.
ANI believes that indigenous philanthropy coupled with innovative funding mechanisms, such as carbon credits and ecotourism, can make conservation financially sustainable. We believe it is imperative that our protected areas begin to generate enough revenue to manage themselves, reducing our over reliance on external funding.
To do this, we need policies that support conservation efforts, such as allocating a percentage of oil revenues to fund protected areas. We also need to build partnerships with international organisations, not as primary funders but as collaborators who can amplify our efforts.
The time to act is now. Nigeria’s natural heritage is at risk, and we cannot afford to solely rely on international donors to come to our rescue, charity begins at home. To my fellow Nigerians, I urge you to support conservation efforts in any way you can. Whether through donations, advocacy, lifestyle choices, or partnerships, your little contributions cumulatively can make a difference. We must take the lead and demonstrate that conservation is not just a moral imperative but can also be a profitable and sustainable investment.
By Nacha Geoffrey, a conservationist; Nigeria Country Manager for ANI Foundation; and 2017 finalist for the Tusk Conservation Awards. See tuskawards.com/nominations for this year’s Awards nominations
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the Belgian government have reaffirmed their commitment to the Ogoni cleanup and to addressing environmental and socio-economic challenges in the region.
HYPREP and Belgium government officials
This commitment was reiterated in a statement following a visit by Pieter Leenknegt, the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, and Prof. Olof Linden, a renowned mangrove expert, to Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP’s Project Coordinator.
Leenknegt stated that the visit aimed to assess the progress of the Ogoni cleanup programme and explore areas for further support.
He was accompanied by Dorien Laewnen, First Secretary to the Belgian Ambassador, who commended HYPREP’s efforts in environmental restoration and livelihood improvement in the Niger Delta.
Laewnen described the project as “a contemporary approach to caring for biodiversity and making the community dwellers custodians of the environment”.
Linden was also accompanied by Mike Cowing from the Post-UNEP team to inspect the HYPREP mangrove restoration site in Bomu, Gokana Local Government Area in Rivers State.
The United Nations (UN) and its agencies have committed to partnering with HYPREP in key areas.
Mohamed Fall, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, stated at a recent meeting with HYPREP that the UN and its agencies would provide technical support in mangrove restoration and climate change mitigation.
He added that the UN would also assist in food security, access to potable water, public health, and other areas.
Fall noted that the visit provided an opportunity to assess HYPREP’s progress in implementing the Ogoni Cleanup Programme.
He highlighted that HYPREP’s mandate aligns with the UN’s objectives, particularly in addressing human rights, environmental degradation, access to clean water, public health, and peacebuilding.
“I have seen that progress is being made on many fronts, the restoration of mangroves, the improvement of livelihoods, and better access to services such as safe water and healthcare.
“The UN will continue to lend its voice and provide support as the programme moves forward,” Fall assured.
In response, Zabbey expressed optimism that the visits reflected the growing national and international interest in the project.
“This project is fostering biodiversity recovery in previously degraded shoreline and mangrove areas, with over 1.3 million mangroves planted and shoreline restoration works reaching over 38 per cent to date,” he said.
He emphasised that HYPREP welcomes partnerships that drive sustainable development and contribute to key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, and 17.
Zabbey also appealed to the UN Resident Coordinator to mobilise further support from UN agencies to sustain the project’s momentum.
During the visit, the delegation received a project status briefing outlining key milestones achieved across various thematic areas.
They were also presented with HYPREP’s manuals on mangrove restoration, among other project documents.
Representatives from the FAO, WHO, and UNDP, as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, were present during the visit to HYPREP’s office in Port Harcourt.
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, has officially commenced the reconstruction and upgrade of the ₦80 billion Alau Dam in Borno State.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the Alau Dam in Borno State
Alau Dam is a critical infrastructure serving as a water source, irrigation system, and flood control facility for the region.
Originally built between 1984 and 1986, the dam collapsed on September 10, 2024, due to severe flooding, displacing thousands and disrupting agriculture and water supply.
Following the disaster, President Bola Tinubu approved an ₦80 billion intervention fund.
This decision was based on recommendations from a high-powered technical committee, led by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, which was tasked with assessing dam infrastructure nationwide.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Alau, Utsev emphasised that the reconstruction and upgrade of the dam would directly enhance water supply, flood control, and agricultural productivity in Borno state.
“This is not just another infrastructure project. This is a direct response to the devastating floods of 2024 and a demonstration of the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to the well-being and prosperity of Nigerians, particularly the people of Borno State.”
The minister explained that, before its collapse, the Alau Dam played a pivotal role in providing irrigation for thousands of hectares of farmland and supplying potable water to Maiduguri and its environs.
He noted that decades of neglect, climate change impacts, and increased demand had weakened its capacity.
The minister further disclosed that the reconstruction would be executed in two phases over 24 months, ensuring both immediate relief and long-term resilience.
“Phase one, which will begin between March and Sept. 2025, will focus on urgent interventions to mitigate flood risks and restore the dam’s basic infrastructure.
“Phase two, which will commence in Oct. 2025 and run until 2027, will focus on comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrade, including desilting, structural reinforcements, and expansion of irrigation channels to support sustainable agriculture and water supply.”
Utsev assured that the project would be executed transparently, with strict adherence to quality and safety standards.
In his remarks, Gov. Babagana Zulum lauded the Federal Government’s swift intervention, describing the reconstruction as a major step towards rebuilding lives, boosting the local economy, and ensuring long-term food security.
“This groundbreaking ceremony is a testament to the government’s unwavering commitment to not just rebuilding physical infrastructure, but restoring the livelihoods and dignity of our people,” Zulum said.
The governor noted that the dam’s collapse had dealt a significant blow to farmers, herders, and households in the state, making its reconstruction critical to food security, economic stability, and water availability.
While acknowledging that the project was divided into two phases, he appealed for both phases to be executed concurrently, particularly emphasising the need to urgently address the issue of silting in the water basin.
“I want to appeal to the honourable minister to consider executing both phases concurrently, especially to clear the silting and restore the full functionality of the dam,” Zulum stated.
He further commended President Tinubu’s administration for its post-flood relief interventions, including the deployment of 200 trucks of food grains, which he said helped to stabilise affected communities.
Zulum announced the approval for the construction of a primary school and hospital in Alau community.
“I have approved the construction of a primary school and hospital for Alau community to ensure the holistic development of the area,” Zulum stated.
The governor urged residents of Alau and neighbouring communities to cooperate with contractors and provide support for the smooth execution of the project.
Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, emphasised the importance of expanding irrigation facilities alongside the dam reconstruction to enhance dry-season farming and boost food production.
He called on the Ministry of Water Resources to incorporate irrigation infrastructure into the project, adding that his ministry was ready to partner with the Borno government to support farmers in utilising the fertile land surrounding Alau Dam.
“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is prepared to collaborate in maximising the agricultural potential of this project,” Kyari said.
The groundbreaking ceremony drew top dignitaries, including Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Sen. Ken Emeka and Sen. Sada Soli, Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Water and Sanitation.
Others in attendance included Sen. Kaka Shehu, representing Borno Central; the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn El-Kanemi; and other top government officials.
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in collaboration with UNICEF intends to plant 2,080 trees in three months to strengthen environmental sustainability and mitigate the negative impact of climate change in the area.
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Prof. Kabiru Bala, Vice-Chancellor, ABU, disclosed this on the sideline of a workshop on Tree Planting, Waste Recycling and Sustainable Practices for ABU Students held at the institution in Zaria.
The workshop was organised by UNICEF in collaboration ABU in Zaria.
Bala, represented by Prof. Sahalu Junaid, said the partnership was hinged on tree planting and sustainable waste management under the Green Rising Initiative of UNICEF.
He noted that ABU had a long tradition of tree planting and the university had planted over five million trees across its campuses in five years.
“Under the recycling component of the partnership, UNICEF has supported the construction of 12 collection kiosks around the campus, buying waste for recycling purposes.
“UNICEF and ABU want these initiatives to be owned by young people so that they can use it as a means of entrepreneurship,” he said.
The vice-chancellor said the 2,080 trees would be planted on five hectares of land and UNICEF had provided a number of support for the volunteers.
“Each volunteer will receive N2,000 for transportation and N1,500 for refreshment; we are to be going to the field at least three times a week; for each visit we will require about 100 students,’’ he said.
Ms. Theresa Pamma, Water Sanitation and Hygiene Expert, UNICEF, Kaduna Field Office, said the partnership with ABU was very strategic.
Pamma said UNICEF’s Green Rising Project was aimed at engaging youth to be active participants in climate change interventions and “when one is looking at the critical mass of youth ABU is a strategic partner on this.”
She added that UNICEF was leveraging on the youth at ABU who were from different parts of the country to cascade Green Rising campaign down towards mitigating climate change impacts.
“We also consider the history of ABU, its number of students and what the institution has been doing on climate change (the tree planting initiatives).
“These among other reasons informed the decision to choose ABU for this strategic partnership,’’ Pamma said.
She further explained that the initiative was aimed at increasing awareness on issues around climate and making youth to be active participants in the implementation of the interventions.
She said the partnership initially targeted 200 students as volunteers, but the turnout was overwhelming; hence UNICEF would meet with the university towards increasing the number.
As the global community marks the International Waste Pickers Day, the Lagos waste pickers have called on the government at all levels to expedite action on the global plastic treaty.
Waste pickers
Mr. Friday Okuh, President, Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL), made the call at an event on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Lagos.
The International Waste Pickers Day is celebrated annually on March 1 in commemoration of waste pickers who lost their lives in Colombia in 1992.
The Global Plastic Treaty is an international agreement currently being negotiated by around 175 countries to end plastic pollution at every stage of the material’s lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal.
Okuh said the treaty should recognise the rights of waste pickers in international and local laws, reducing plastic pollution, and guarantee a just transition for waste pickers.
“Our vital work in material recovery, collection, recycling, and reuse actively combats plastic pollution and addresses climate change and circular economy sustainability.
“A treaty with mandatory Just transition provisions will uplift more than 300,000 in Nigeria and over 40 million waste pickers worldwide, secure our livelihoods, and affirm our essential role in safeguarding our planet.
“We call on governments to finalise this treaty with bogus ambition treaty without delay, and we urge every waste picker to advocate for a future that respects our contributions.
“We honour the memories of our comrades who tragically lost their lives in Colombia on March 1,” Okuh said.
He said ASWOL stands in solidarity with the courageous waste pickers who face violence daily on dumpsites and streets and with those in some states and Abuja who are enduring displacement from their livelihood.
“The livelihoods of waste pickers were under increasing threat with governments closing dumpsites and landfills without consulting us, even though we depend on these spaces for our works and wages.
“We celebrate every waste picker in Lagos Nigeria and other organisations and movements that commemorate this day.
“Our collective commitment drives community progress and ignites transformative change in the country and worldwide,” Oku said.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), the European Investment Bank (EIB), with the support of the European Union (EU), on Friday, February 28, 2025, announced a €100 million financial partnership to support climate action and environmental sustainability projects in the ECOWAS region.
EBID and EIB officials announce a €100 million financial partnership to support climate action and environmental sustainability projects
The €100 million credit line signed under a €150 million envelope is the EIB’s first operation with the EBID. It supports economic development, climate action and environmental sustainability in the ECOWAS region, which fills the financing gap in these areas and contributes to sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.
The facility affirms joint EBID and EIB targeted support for sustainable investments across the ECOWAS region, with particular support for sectors contributing to climate mitigation. The projects which will be financed by this operation target particularly renewable energy including small and medium-sized photovoltaic projects, sustainable agriculture and water treatment.
The project – targeting total investments of at least €300 million – is in line with the strategic priorities of the ECOWAS region and is part of the European Union strategy in Africa under the Africa-European Union Green Energy Initiative as well as the Global Gateway strategy, a model for how Europe can build more resilient connections with the world.
It also responds to the ECOWAS Vision 2050 ambitions linked to the environment, economic growth, private sector development and regional integration as well as the ECOWAS Regional Climate Strategy and the Action Plan for 2022- 2030.It contributes to various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as sustainable agriculture, health and quality education, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy.
“We appreciate this line of credit as an initiative of the European Investment Bank to help ECOWAS countries increase their growth and sustainable development,” said EBID Vice President Risk and Control, Dr Mory Soumahoro. “This partnership demonstrates EBID’s commitment to supporting regional member countries’ access to sustainable sources of finance.”
“I am very delighted to sign this first operation with the EBID to support economic development, climate action and environmental sustainability in the ECOWAS region. It will help to bridge the financial gap in this region while contributing to reduce poverty and ameliorate daily lives,” said EIB Vice-President, Ambroise Fayolle.
He added: “By contributing financially to this project, the EIB demonstrates its commitment to regional integration and developed infrastructure for the benefit of local populations. Through EIB Global, our branch dedicated to development, we aim to support the EU’s Global Gateway initiative and key sectors in the region such as innovation, digital economy, renewable energy, water, agriculture and transport.”
Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, said: “More than half a billion people in Africa still lack access to electricity. Our long- standing goal is to change that. The partnership between the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) is a clear demonstration of our commitment to supporting sustainable development and climate action in Africa. By mobilising €300 million for projects that promote clean energy, we are empowering people in the ECOWAS region to build a greener and more prosperous future.”
The EIB loan will also be accompanied by technical assistance programme of the EIB with climate action focused training and capacity building This is said to be closely aligned with the EIB and EBID initiatives supporting sustainable development.
The ravaging destruction of the land, the poisoning of rivers, the collapse of agriculture, and the soul-crushing erosion of livelihoods – this is the grim reality for the people living in Owukpa, Odoba, and Efeche. These once vibrant communities in Benue State, rich with coal beneath their feet, are now left gasping for survival, as their futures are darkened by the neo-extractive mentality that prioritises profit over people, and exploitation over sustainability.
Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State
The Hollow Promise of Progress
In 2023, I was contacted by a friend, an industrialist, Chris Echikwu, who sought my help to investigate the pollution caused by the coal mining runoff from Dangote’s operations in Efeche. What I encountered was a brick wall, not just in terms of finding solutions, but in understanding the apathy that gripped the local community. Despite the pollution, the youth in the village appeared satisfied with the short-term benefits they received from the mining activities, turning a blind eye to the downstream consequences on the Okpokwu River, their only water source. This was not an isolated case. I made contact with the Nigerian Coal Network Nbani Friday Barilule, hoping to bring attention to the issue, but once again, the efforts died in vain as local interest waned, and the story faded into silence.
The situation was no better in Odoba, Ogbadibo LGA. The former LGA Chairman reached out to me, desperate for help in investigating the harmful mining activities in the area. Yet again, my investigation came to an abrupt end, a stillbirth of potential change, as no one seemed willing to confront the harsh reality. What we have is a tragic paradox: communities drowning in coal wealth yet suffocating from its environmental cost.
Benue’s Burden: Rich in Coal, Poor in Action
Benue State sits atop one of Nigeria’s richest coal deposits, stretching across the vast expanse of the Benue Trough. With more than 220 million tons of proven coal reserves, it should be a beacon of progress and prosperity. Yet, despite this vast wealth, the state is caught in a perpetual cycle of poverty, environmental degradation, and unfulfilled promises. The coal-rich regions of Owukpa, Odoba in Ogbadibo LGA, and Efeche in Okpokwu LGA have long depended on coal mining as their economic backbone. But this dependence has come at a great price.
Owukpa: A Crushed Community Beneath the Weight of Profit
Owukpa, a district within Ogbadibo LGA, is an epicentre of this tragedy. With an estimated 75 million tonnes of subbituminous coal buried beneath its surface, Owukpa has been mined by the Owukpa Consolidated Mines Limited since 2007. In theory, this mining should have transformed the community. Instead, it has decimated the very land that people rely on. The unrelenting extraction of coal has turned once-fertile land into barren stretches, covered in erosion scars and toxic waste.
Women, the bedrock of agriculture in the area, have seen their livelihoods evaporate. Their farms are swallowed by the dust, the soil tainted with heavy metals, the crops wither, and the river which was once a lifeline now poisons their homes (including mine, I and my immediate family drink this water daily).
The Okpokwu River, which flows through Owukpa and neighboring towns like Okpoga and Otukpo, is no longer a safe water source. Polluted with mining runoff, it has become an emblem of the environmental atrocities that have been allowed to continue unchecked. The water, once vital for drinking, farming, and fishing, is now contaminated with toxic metals, making it unsuitable for consumption or agriculture. And this isn’t just a local crisis; the contamination ripples downstream, affecting even the distant communities in Cross River State.
The School of Despair: A Symbol of a Broken System
The story of Owukpa’s secondary school tells a tale of neglect and indifference. Built within the shadow of the mining site (the only community secondary school is located with the mining site. In fact, coal is deposited beside the school dining hall), it stands as a stark reminder of the forgotten future of these children. Coal dust clouds the air, and the vibrations from mining explosions threaten the integrity of the school’s structure (they are all cracked). Education, the one thing that could offer these children a way out, is compromised every day by the very industry that is supposed to provide them with hope-The children are living chronic disease time bombs (Please google search).
The Struggles of Owukpa’s Secondary School and Local Infrastructure
One of the most disturbing effects of coal mining in Owukpa is the condition of the local secondary school, which is located near the mining site. The school, which serves as the only secondary education facility in the area, is surrounded by coal debris. Students are forced to study in an environment fraught with coal dust, posing serious health risks. Moreover, the vibrations from frequent mining explosions have left the school building in a precarious condition, with the constant threat of collapse.
Local infrastructure has also suffered. Roads, already poorly maintained, have become increasingly impassable due to the heavy truck traffic associated with coal transport. This has made it difficult for farmers, particularly women, to access markets to sell their agricultural products. The destruction of local roads has further isolated these communities, making it harder for them to engage in trade and access essential services.
Women’s Resistance and Calls for Sustainable Mining Practices
In response to the environmental and social toll of coal mining, women in Owukpa have taken an active role in advocating for change. Led by local women’s groups such as Women in Mining, they have organised protests against unsustainable mining practices and demanded better protection of their land and resources. These efforts have raised awareness of the damaging effects of mining and have led to some policy responses https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/533623-coal-mining-stirs-womens-protest-in-benue-community.html?tztc=1 The state and federal governments set up different panels (at my instance in collaboration with others). I testified before the panel and participated in the parley. https://dailytrust.com/miners-wont-be-allowed-to-cheat-host-communities/ However, significant challenges persist, including continued pollution of water sources, a decline in agricultural productivity, and the lack of viable alternative livelihoods for affected communities.
The Scorched Earth Mentality: Mining for Today, Destroying Tomorrow
This is not just mining; this is the epitome of the scorched earth mentality, a mindset that extracts resources without regard for future generations, communities, or ecosystems. The modus operandi of companies like Dangote’s operations in Benue State reveals a ruthless approach to mining that maximises short-term profit while devastating the land, air, and water. Massive trucks rumble through the night, carrying away 30 tonnes of coal in a single trip, and the land left behind is ravaged, devoid of life.
About 200 trucks haul coal daily to Dangote cement company located at Obajana. The result is a suffocating spiral of environmental destruction. The once-rich soil is gone. The water is undrinkable. The air is thick with coal dust, and the communities that remain are trapped in a cycle of exploitation, their future robbed by a mentality that cares only about profit.
The Forgotten People: A Cry for Justice
The coal mining industry in Benue State, including operations like those of Owukpa Consolidated Mines and Dangote Mines Ltd., has brought wealth to corporations, but it has brought nothing but despair to the local people. The promises of wealth and development have been hollow, and the promises made to the communities, promises of improved infrastructure, social services, and fair compensation still remain unfulfilled. Mining activities continue, unchecked, without any real benefit to those who live closest to the extraction sites.
These communities are not merely passive victims; they are the forgotten people of Nigeria’s coal industry. They are left without clean water, without the means to feed their families, and without hope. They are left to endure the health risks, the economic hardship, and the environmental destruction caused by a short-sighted, neo-extractive system that sees them only as expendable resources.
The Need for a Sustainable Mining Approach
The coal mining activities in Owukpa, Odoba Ogbadibo LGA, and Efeche, Okpokwu LGAs underscore the urgent need for a more sustainable and equitable approach to mining in Nigeria. While coal mining has brought economic benefits to the region, it has come at a significant environmental and socio-economic cost. Unfortunately, the MOUs agreed with host communties are not adhered to. Similarly, the provision of social amenities has not commenced despite extensive extraction of coal. Again, there is no evidence the proceeds of coal is remitted to the federal, state and local government as enshrined in the Act of 2007.
The environmental degradation resulting from unsustainable mining practices in these communities must be addressed through proper reclamation efforts, water management, and more eco-friendly extraction methods. Moreover, the social and economic impacts on local communities, particularly women, must be given greater attention. Providing alternative livelihoods, improving access to basic services, and ensuring that local voices are heard in mining-related decision-making processes are essential steps toward creating a more sustainable future for these coal-rich communities.
A Call for Action: The Time for Change Is Now
The time has come for a change. The reckless extraction of coal must stop. The environmental and social costs are too great to ignore any longer. The Nigerian government, Ministry of Mines and Power, mining companies, and civil society must come together to demand a new approach. This is one that prioritises the well-being of the people and the protection of the environment.
It is not enough to extract the wealth of the land without reinvesting in the communities that have borne the brunt of this exploitation. There must be a comprehensive and sustainable mining approach that includes reclamation efforts, proper water management, eco-friendly extraction methods, and the provision of real benefits to local communities – especially women, who bear the heaviest burden.
To my people of Owukpa, Odoba, Efeche, and Ochobo, Okpoga, Otobi, Igummale and Obi your cries and groans must be heard. It is time for the world to hear them too. We cannot allow this travesty to continue. We must act now to ensure that the coal beneath the earth does not claim the future of the people above it.
Following the outcome of a one-day workshop organised by the University of Nigeria Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (UNN-REPRC), Prof. Nnaemeka Chukwuone was reported by the EnviroNews Nigeria (see https://www.environewsnigeria.com; Nigeria estimates over $2bn carbon market activation by 2030; published on January 20, 2025) to have projected a $2 billion carbon market in Nigeria by 2030.
Based on my thorough reading of the news report and the claims made by Prof. Nnaemeka, Director of UNN-REPRC, I have considered it important to make this short article in response and to clarify the confusions in the global carbon market for the sake of the Nigerian climate scientists and environmentalists. Climate change itself is a market in crisis, therefore no other market can solve climate change
Carbon emission
In the first instance, I have taken this response as a very instructive one, most especially when the entire African communities are deeply trapped in the carbon market crises; railroading Nigeria into the “fictitious capital” of the global carbon credits is a route that should be avoided, and the Nigerian climate scientists’ community should not mislead the government, and its agencies into such global crises.
As a research scientist that has been working in the interconnections of science and policy, and in exploring the political economy of the global nature markets and the international climate finance schemes, I feel the utmost concern to make these clarifications with evidence-based examples and case studies from various carbon market crises across both African countries and Europe.
Scholars, policy makers and governments across the world have generally agreed that carbon emitters should be held accountable for the climate crises their greed of exploitation has caused humanity, but then the persistent problem remains the fact that these polluters are not in any way ready to take responsibility and commit to variously existing climate action agreements; one of the major one being the Paris Agreement of 2015.
Unfortunately, the Paris Agreement suffers a double jeopardy when global south and especially G20 countries refused to pay up their climate debt – a blatant implementation failure to the general agreement of financing climate action in developing countries. While the Paris Agreement was in process, and governments were negotiating for implementation strategies and commitments, the concept of “climate debt” emerges. This is the total cost of carbon dioxide emissions imposed on the global economy. In negotiating for the total climate debt, about 131 countries out of the 190 countries that are signatories to the Paris Agreement agreed to a projected sharing mechanism of the total estimated cost of damage caused by carbon emissions, which is measured in economic damage per ton of carbon emissions.
Going by this arrangement, the size of each country’s climate debt was measured by the size of its economy, how the country uses fossil fuels to generate carbon emissions, composition of its energy mix, and its overall environmental impacts. As of 2020, the International Monetary Fund in its publication confirmed that the global south as led by countries such as USA, China, India, Japan, and the European Union has exceeded by far the amount of climate debt earmarked for them, while countries in the global north, the developing countries of course, could not even use up to 50% of their climate debt.
Therefore, these countries in the global south need to pay about $20 trillion of their climate debt excesses to developing countries in terms of climate finance and support climate actions in developing countries. This climate debt arrangement is not aid, not a grant, it was the collective agreement by these 131 countries following the Paris Agreement of 2015.
How then do we arrive at the juncture of carbon market instead of pursuing the global north to pay up their climate debt commitment? To be more holistic about the veracity of the carbon market, we need to patiently trace it to the genesis of cap-and-trade regulations of 1977 in the USA. In history, the USA was the first to establish a “Cap and Trade” regulation to govern carbon emission regulations and force polluters to pay for their carbon emissions. Unfortunately, eight years after the institutionalisation of the USA cap and trade regulations, carbon emissions increased sporadically, and this necessitated one of the reasons for the Kyoto Protocol of 1997.
With the results of the Kyoto Protocol, the earlier arrangement of cap and trade in the USA became institutionalised and adopted by other countries. However, these was further complicated with the unstable price of carbon and commercialisation of pollutions which was inefficiently implemented. Though regulations are constituted to guide the cap-and-trade market, carbon leakage thwarted the regulations.
Despite increased regulations and enforcement of strict deterrent, carbon emissions from companies keep going uncontrollably. In advancement of this, the European Union between 2012 and 2015 also instituted an Emission Trade System (ETS) which was similar to USA cap-and-trade regulations. As is the usual character of big businesses and multinationals, the EU’s ETS regulation suffered some setbacks in not less than five years of entry into force; companies were shifting their base of production to jurisdictions of less carbon price or no regulations at all. As a result, the EU introduced carbon border control which checkmated carbon price differences by putting an extra tariff on all goods imported to the EU.
With this new regulation, goods and products entering the EU from areas of no carbon emission control are liable to face additional tariff called “carbon tax”. The EU further places strict regulations to protect carbon prices but amid this strict policy on price regulation, carbon price nosedived from 60 Euros in 2019 to less than 20 Euros in 2023. Currently, the EU has substituted the ETS with a brand-new EU Green Deal. Let us keenly observed that from the gradual collapse of cap-and-trade in the USA to the natural death of the EU Emission Trade System, the carbon market crises continue to deepen.
The collapse of the cap-and-trade and the Emission Trading system did not only prove the failure of the financialisation of environmental pollution, it also testified to the fact that a fictious capital cannot be reinvented in the control of carbon emissions. The winners of this carbon market crises remain the polluters and their financial brokers – we have seen this in USA between 1977 and 1997, and in the EU between 2012 and 2023. What therefore is new in the re-emergence of carbon market in the Post Paris Agreement era?
The carbon market system has been divided into compliance carbon market and the voluntary carbon market. In the compliance carbon market, the government already placed a regulation on the amount of carbon and fossil fuels to be emitted by a company, and such companies operating within that jurisdiction must not go beyond the cap or limit. But in the voluntary carbon market, there is no regulation. Companies are free to emit as much as they can. Unfortunately, African countries have been categorised for the voluntary carbon market scheme while developed countries that are holding back huge amount of climate debt are now categorised as compliance carbon market.
As a result, companies operating in the global north – across developed countries – can come to African countries to offset their carbon emissions by buying a plantation or a forested area. How can we scientifically prove that a plantation in Edo State, Nigeria, can offset carbon emission of a company operating in Europe or in America? What pricing mechanisms has the UNN- REPRC established that confirms that Nigeria’s carbon market will be worth $2 billion by 2030?
Generally, scientists have criticised the entire idea of carbon market. While some have also praised the carbon market as a good economic strategy to conserve and protect the environment, the Interpol has as well recognised the scheme as “the next global white-collar crime”.
In the words of Liz Mwangi (2023) of the University of Cape Town and Waring, a senior lecturer of climate change at the Imperial College, London, “there can never be enough trees and forest in the world to offset carbon emissions” (with some emphasis added). The truth in Prof Waring’s comments, and that of Liz Mwangi can be justified by the current position of Nigeria’s forest cover.
Quoting from the World Bank’s development data indicators, Nigeria’s total forest area was reported at 213,004 sq.km in 2022, which was about 23.39% of land area and of which our total agricultural land stood at 76.6% of land area. Due to rapid industrial development, unregulated real estate activities, Nigeria’s total forest cover rapidly change and make us lost about 47.5% forest cover.
In the midst of this, it is noteworthy that Nigeria’s agricultural development has also suffered some setbacks due to government poor funding and unregulated agricultural sector. This is seen in the large number of small holder farmers that dominated the country’s food production chain. Currently, about 80% of Nigeria’s agricultural food products are produced by over 90% of small holder farmers who operates from their local communities and rural areas across the country, still with crude implements and agricultural tools.
A national carbon market project will therefore mean displacing this large number of small holder farmers and increasing food insecurity in the country, hence poverty as well will skyrocket while carbon credit moguls and their financial brokers smile to the bank.
To further complicate the global climate crisis is the mass extinction of world biodiversity. In 2023, the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in its global biodiversity assessment report confirmed that about 1 million species are currently in danger of extinction. Out of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2024 confirmed about 100 species of this flora and fauna to be lost are in Nigeria.
Citing Liz Mwangi (2023) verbatim, “researchers at the University of California Berkeley’s Carbon Trading Project have further established that the current system of generating rainforest protection carbon credits is not fit for purpose and is only open to exploitation”. Other researchers have warned that “credit credibility seriously threatens forests”.
In reality, making Nigeria forests and lands available for carbon market is nothing but making indigenous lands and local communities sacrifice to carbon polluters from the global north. How can Nigeria ecological spaces and rich biodiversity resources be a tool for carbon offsetting to polluters whose companies operate in Europe and America? In answering this question, I refer to Davies (2022) when he described carbon market scheme as “a kind of violence that occurs gradually” a delayed destruction that is scattered across time and space, and which is not usually seen by violence by the exploiters and landgrabbers.
While this violence of carbon markets tends to expose the vulnerability of our natural resources, and the ecosystems of local communities, it further complicates the circumstances by fueling social conflicts, threatening livelihoods of local communities and increasing social pressures, including displacing an entire people from their source of survival. This example is typical of the aboriginal rural communities in Edo State where Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sakponba Rainforest Reserve covering over 2,000 hectares were lost to French companies because of an oil palm plantation. The Okpamakhin local communities of the Owan rainforest zone earlier this year protested the land grabbing gestapo which carbon market schemes have imposed on them.
As a matter of consensus, various scholars and researchers across Africa have established the copious crises inherent in the carbon market scheme. Therefore, we all have the responsibility not to see the carbon market scheme as a form of compensation from the global north. What is necessary and should be the focus of scientists and policy makers across the African countries are the questions surrounding the climate debt which global north still refused to honour.
In simpler terms, we can draw another evidence of the carbon market crises from Liberia, Kenya and Tanzania. In Liberia, just after the African Climate Change Summit in 2023, an Emirati company signed a deal with the Liberia government to concede 10% of his territory for a carbon offset project. Through the deal, the Emirati company, being one of the global oil and gas producers in the United Arab Emirates, is projected to offset its carbon emissions and also sell carbon credits to other polluters by harvesting carbon credits that would have been conserved and protected through the one million hectares of forest that has been acquired in Liberia.
In addition, we also have similar arrangements in Kenya, where thousands of hectares of local forests were concessioned under a lease arrangement with the government for carbon credits harvesting. The Kenya carbon market scheme has displaced about 1,000 indigenous communities. Across these scenarios, indigenous peoples and local community habitats were displaced and their land taken away from them for the purpose of carbon credits – a similar scenario that the aboriginal local communities are currently facing in Edo State.
Without going into much details of the African Carbon Market Initiative and the characteristics of its Steering Committee, it is clear that the carbon market scheme in Nigeria will further plunge local communities, and indigenous peoples into climate change chaos; exacerbate urban vulnerabilities, cause more displacements of people, increase climate injustice, and continue to deepen socio-economic disparities between the urban settlers and the poor settlers in rural communities.
No doubt, climate change does not exist in vacuum; and that is why it is a global issue. In addition, we have all been able to agree, without any iota of doubt or disagreement, that carbon emissions from developed countries in the global north are the primary cause of the world’s rising temperatures. This is a crisis that has put the global south countries at the receiving point. This fact has been acknowledged and accepted by various scientific bodies and epistemic communities in the climate science research space.
Rights to ecological spaces of indigenous communities is essential. Carbon trading threatens these rights, escalates food insecurity, and increase poverty of small holder farmers as they tend to cultivate carbon credit plantations and maintain it for the benefits of polluters who after harvesting their “grown carbon credits” share profits and dividends among financial brokers and project implementation agencies.
Economically, the projected $2 billion by 2030 of UNN-RERPC is far below the needed cost of climate action in Nigeria; and, can’t pay Nigeria’s total external debt to international financial organisations. Therefore, the projected $2 billion, aside being fictitious, is already consumed by Nigeria’s foreign debt. Nigeria’s total external debt in 2024 stood at N56. 02 trillion ($42.12 billion), plus a total domestic debt of N65. 65 trillion ($49.35 billion). How commensurate is the projected $2 billion carbon market by 2030?
The Nigeria climate change policy in all sincerity has provided alternative measures for mobilising climate finance. Accordingly, the national policy on climate action provided alternative measures of mobilsing $250 million worth of Green Bonds to “support national climate finance initiatives” and implement climate actions across multi-sectoral provisions including key areas such as environment, agriculture, power and energy efficiency, and transportation.
The mobilisation of $250 million worth of Green Bonds may appear little but then it is worth a productive start compared to subjecting our rapidly degrading forest cover to a fictitious carbon credit that, also, further increases socio-economic pressures of small holder famers.
This exactly I think the Nigerian scientific community should engage with and interrogate the interfaces between the national climate policy and use of available scientific evidence across the country to drive positive climate actions across board, without putting ourselves into the climate trap of the crises-ridden carbon market.
By Olusegun Michael Ogundele
Ogundele is a research scientist working on the interconnections of conservation science, and the science-policy interface in environmental governance. He is a member of the Nigerian Environmental Society, and the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney, Australia. He currently writes from the University of Pannonia Centre for Circular Economy, Hungary. He can be reached at segunogundele@hotmail.com
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has agreed on the outlines of the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) during its 62nd Plenary session, which concluded on Saturday, February 1, 2025, in Hangzhou, China.
The opening of the 62nd session of the IPCC in Hangzhou, China. Photo credit: IISD-ENB / Anastasia Rodopoulou
The Panel also approved IPCC’s overall budget for 2025.
“Despite the heavy agenda, thanks to the Panel’s ability to build and achieve multilateral consensus, and the tireless work of the IPCC’s scientific Bureau, we now have clarity on the scope of the scientific content. This allows us to put together author teams and kick start our work on the Seventh Assessment Report.” said IPCC Chair, Jim Skea.
From here, governments, observer organisations and IPCC Bureau members will nominate experts to serve as authors.
The Panel’s agreement concludes the initial phase of defining critically important scientific content for the Seventh Assessment Report.
The three Working Group contributions assess the physical science basis of climate change; impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and mitigation of climate change.
The Panel will consider the outline of the Synthesis Report – the fourth and final instalment of the Seventh Assessment Report – at a later date. The Synthesis Report will integrate the contributions of the three Working Groups and the Special Report produced during the seventh cycle.
It will be released in the second half of 2029 in line with the Panel’s decision from January 2024.
Comprehensive scientific assessment reports are published every five to seven years. The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, which formally began in July 2023 with the elections of the new IPCC and Task Force Bureaus at the IPCC’s Plenary Session in Nairobi.
At its first Plenary Session in the seventh assessment cycle – the 60th Plenary Session in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2024 – the Panel agreed to produce in this cycle the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), namely the Working Group I report on the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and the Working Group III report on Mitigation of Climate Change.
The Synthesis Report of the Seventh Assessment Report will be produced after the completion of the Working Group reports and released by late 2029.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority (NMDPRA) is set to embark on a public campaign to educate the public on the dangers of scooping petroleum products from falling tankers.
Petrol tanker accident
Mrs. Nsima Isong, Acting Coordinator of NMDPRA, made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ meeting in Eket Field Office, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday, February 28, 2025.
She said the campaign was aimed at preventing the likelihood of an incident and ensure public safety.
According to her, the campaign will be done in conjunction with other agencies and stakeholders in the state.
Isong said the essence of the meeting was aimed to sensitise stakeholders on the resolutions reached and ensure a seamless implementation.
She said that NMDPRA would implement regular training and retraining of truck drivers and motor boys by the second quarter of 2025.
The acting coordinator said the measure would help to equip drivers with the necessary skills and knowledge to operate safely.
Isong noted that NMDPRA would collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in carrying out the campaign.
According to her, the FRSC will conduct regular checks to ensure that drivers are not fatigued or driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
Isong explained that NMDPRA would introduce colour coding for trucks starting from April 1, 2025, to enhance visibility.
“The measure will facilitate easy identification of compliant tankers and ensure that non-compliant tankers are sanctioned,” she said.
She said that tankers carrying petroleum products exceeding 60,000 litres would be prohibited from plying Nigerian roads with effect from Saturday, March 1.
“This restriction aims to reduce the risk of accidents and spills associated with overloaded tankers,” she said.
She said that NMDPRA would hold regular meetings with stakeholders to review progress and address challenges.
She said the meetings would provide a platform for feedback, suggestions, and collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the new resolution.
According to her, the introduction of these resolution marks a significant step towards enhancing safety and reducing tanker accidents on Nigerian roads.
Isong said that NMDPRA aimed to protect lives, prevent environmental pollution, and promote a safer and more responsible petroleum transportation industry.