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Save Us From Ocean Encroachment, N-Delta Coastal Communities Cry Out

Published

3 years ago

August 28, 2022

Editor

Community along the coast of the Niger Delta who are on the verge of been wash off into the sea/rivers, a situation that has led to the eviction of several coastal communities, have cried out to government to come to their aid and tackle the rampaging sea level rise.

Stakeholders of coastal communities including women and youths leaders from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States, made the appeal in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital, weekend during a ‘National Community Dialogue on Fossil Fuel Exploitation and Sea Level Rise (SLR) in Nigeria’ organized by Oilwatch Nigeria.

The communities lamented that they have suffered loss of sources of livelihoods, displacement of indigenes and acidification of fresher waters, a situation they said has affected sources of drinking water and the life expectancies of the people.

According to the communities, the exploration and production of oil, gas flaring have exacerbated the problems of sea level riseL, natural resource depletion, and the washing away of historical sites like the grave of Lord Luguard in Forcados, Delta State and the aesthetic nature of Niger Delta communities.

They urged the Nigerian government, the World Bank, and other bilateral agencies to commit funding to address sea level rise just like the attention that is currently being given to desertification.

Speaking at the one day community dialogue, the Coordinator, Oilwatch Nigeria, Kentebe Ebiaridor, said it is fact that the impact of climate change is real and is gradually erasing Niger Delta communities in the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean, adding that it is imperative to hear from the community people and know their plight.

He said “We have noticed in the past that apart from flooding our communities are gradually going extinct on the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean because of that we think that it is important that we hear from the communities and also use it as a platform to advocate for government attention towards putting their eyes in frontline communities and most importantly trying to reduce the impact of climate change on our communities because they are the ones suffering the impacts.”

Also in his remarks, Mr. Alagoa Morris, the Head of Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, Niger Delta Resource Centre, admonished the stakeholders for taking proactive steps in ensuring that they live in harmony with nature and consciously work to stand firmly against all activities that will cause mother earth to retaliate against human actions.

In a communique issued, the stakeholders noted that desertification, sea level rise and coastal erosion are some of the causes of resource conflicts and disputes being experienced in the country, such that the natural forest and land resources of the Niger Delta are gradually disappearing based on the effects of oil and gas activities, government inaction, sea level rise, and deforestation.

Parts of the communique reads: “Many Niger Delta communities have been washed off and many others are at the verge of being washed off. A practical example is that of Koluama Community in Bayelsa State that was wiped out some years ago. This made the community to migrate to two separate locations which gave birth to the present day Kolauma 1 & 2 and in the nearest future, both communities will go under the sea.

“Niger Delta communities thought the coming of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was the solution to the problems of oil-bearing communities, but it is not only a threat to the lives of the people and the environment and it is also worsening the existing impacts in the region.

“Government should provide drinking water to coastal communities to combat increased salinity in freshwater sources due to sea level rise and ensure that emergency preparedness measures and databases to cope with increased climatic disasters such as floods and ocean encroachments are made available to the people.

“All environmental laws should be strengthened to address the several environmental challenges confronting communities as a result of fossil fuel extractions mankind in our respective states.

“Governments should make use of the ecological funds to address issues of sea level rise.”

VANGUARD

News

Why I Won’t Attend Gaza Summit In Egypt — Netanyahu

Published

1 hour ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s Gaza summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh because it coincides with a Jewish holiday, his office said.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Donald Trump to attend a conference in Egypt today,” his office said in a statement.

“The prime minister thanked President Trump for the invitation but said he would be unable to attend due to the timing coinciding with the start of the holiday” of Simhat Torah, which begins Monday evening and continues until sunset Tuesday.

Earlier, Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu had been invited to attend following a call between US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Israeli premier.

AFP

News

Fubara Names New Rivers SSG

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the appointment of Benibo Anabraba as the new Secretary to the State Government.

The appointment was confirmed on Monday in a statement signed by Dr. Honour Sirawoo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to the release, Anabraba is scheduled to be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.

The statement said, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of Hon. Benibo Anabraba as Secretary to the Rivers State Government.

“The new SSG will be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, by 4:00 PM at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.”

The appointment follows Fubara’s recent reinstatement to office after a period of political and legal turbulence that led to his suspension under emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly. He cited the prolonged political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor and political benefactor, Nyesom Wike, as the reason.

In Fubara’s place, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator, with a mandate to restore political stability.

Recall that the immediate past administrator, upon assumption of office during the emergency rule imposed suspended all commissioners, special advisers, and assistants appointed by Fubara.

Ibas also dissolved boards and suspended heads of parastatals he met in office.

Since Ibas exited the state on September 18, the fate of Fubara’s appointees had remained uncertain. The Rivers State House of Assembly, at its first sitting after the lifting of the emergency rule, had called on the governor to submit a fresh list of commissioner-nominees for screening, alongside the 2025 budget for passage.

His return to the governorship has coincided with a flurry of administrative changes as the governor consolidates his team.

News

FG To Disburse ₦6.3bn Interest-free Loans To 21,000 Flood Victims

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government is set to disburse ₦6.3 billion in interest-free loans to 21,000 Nigerians affected by recent flood disasters across the country.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a roundtable marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Sununu said the initiative aims to cushion the impact of flooding and enhance food security nationwide, Channels reports.

“In the next few weeks, 21,000 Nigerians will receive interest-free, collateral-free loans of ₦300,000 each.

“This intervention is designed to support farmers and strengthen communities affected by flooding,” he said.

The minister further revealed that the Federal Government, through the National Social Investment Programme, has reached over 8.1 million households with more than ₦300 billion in Conditional Cash Transfers.

“This support has improved the resilience, health, and education of many vulnerable households. The process will continue under the Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” Sununu added.

He also announced plans to empower internally displaced persons through a scheme that guarantees a market for their produce.

“Under our new collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, IDPs will retain 30% of their produce while the government will off-take 70%, providing direct cash payments to the participants,” he explained.

In her remarks, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, highlighted the growing threat of climate-related disasters and called for stronger preventive measures.

Umar noted that Nigeria faces increasing risks from climate change, conflicts, pandemics, and technological hazards, stressing that disaster management must shift from reactive to proactive approaches.

She also announced the launch of two key policy frameworks — the NEMA Strategic Plan (2025–2029) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2025–2030) to guide future disaster preparedness and resilience-building efforts.

“These frameworks promote innovation in financing, institutional collaboration, and risk-informed development,” she said, adding that NEMA is developing a National Risk Monitoring and Information Platform to enhance early warning and data-driven decision-making.

She further called for innovative financing options, including catastrophe bonds, climate funds, and blended finance models, to sustain disaster prevention and recovery initiatives.

The event, which focused on building resilience against climate-related disasters, was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, lawmakers, and international partners.

The PUNCH reports that 238 persons have lost their lives, while 135,764 others have been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country as of October 10, 2025, according to figures obtained from the National Emergency Management Agency’s 2025 Flood Dashboard on Saturday.

NEMA reports that at least 409,714 people have been affected so far, with 826 sustaining various degrees of injuries and 115 reported missing across the country.

Flood-related deaths were recorded in multiple states, bringing the nationwide death toll to 238.