During the virtual climate justice webinar series on Thursday, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) emphasized the importance of responsible conflict resolution.
The webinar, organized as part of the Nigerian Climate Justice Alliance under NCF, aimed to generate ideas for addressing climate change crises.
Dr. Grace Alawa, Founder of Sustainable Action for Nature (SAN), highlighted the need to enhance the capacity of stakeholders in managing crises related to oil exploration.
Alawa’s presentation focused on “Building Capacity of Local Stakeholders on Conflict Resolution Skills.” She outlined the roles of host communities, government, and International Oil Companies (IOCs) in managing conflicts arising from environmental degradation and oil spillage in the Niger Delta.
She emphasized the goal of the capacity-building workshop to enhance local communities’ resilience to climate change and promote climate justice. Alawa mentioned conducting consultations between communities, government, and IOCs, including the “Peoples Parliament” to address community grievances.
Alawa stressed the importance of lifestyle changes and training host communities to become eco-defenders to report environmental degradation. She noted that 70 individuals were trained in the Niger Delta, with evaluations conducted annually to assess their achievements.
Shittu Usman Akorede, Project Officer at Finima Nature Park, NCF, Port Harcourt, highlighted the webinar’s purpose in building the capacities of host communities to manage conflicts effectively.
Akorede underscored the need for collaboration in mitigating climate change’s impact and recalled the inauguration of the Nigerian Climate Justice Alliance in 2023, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change’s environmental and human rights aspects.
Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director-General of NCF, called for collaboration between the government, private sector, and communities to ensure climate justice. He emphasized the current impact of climate change on communities across Nigeria.
Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, President of the Society for People and Prosperity (SPP), stressed the importance of civil society groups uniting to advocate for actionable policies. He highlighted Nigeria’s policy frameworks and the need for improved implementation through financing, monitoring, and evaluation, along with political will.
