The Federal Government has announced plans to develop a roadmap for the conservation and protection of mangroves in the country.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change Secretariat, Dr Nkiruka Maduekwe, in a parley with Journalists said a roadmap which will outline key priorities for Nigeria in mangrove conservation, reforestation, afforestation, and protection is in the offing.
Maduekwe, who is also the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change, explained that the roadmap aligns with the mangrove breakthrough initiative launched at COP27 and the Secretariat’s 2025 theme, which is to amplify nature-based climate solutions.
She further explained that the roadmap will also focus on identifying the necessary actions, setting clear goals, and developing a strategic investment plan to ensure effective implementation and long-term sustainability of environmental initiatives.
She noted that the world has identified that mangroves are important because you are talking about livelihood, coastal resilience, improving the livelihoods of the community members, amplifying nature-based climate solutions. “We’re starting with the mangrove technical site visits to the nine states in the Niger Delta because we’re talking about coastal resilience,” she revealed.
Maduekwe said: “We are going to the mangroves to see for ourselves what the status is and what we need to do as a country to further firm up our adaptation in that area. One of the things that is going to come out from the technical visit is the roadmap. We’re developing a roadmap for mangrove conservation and protection for the country.
“As part of the technical site visit, we’re having a town hall meeting in Calabar, Cross River State. Significantly, Cross River is the first state to have adopted the climate change law and they have a green economy commission. We found it important that we have the town hall meeting in the first state that has been able to warehouse the Climate Change Act. So, we’re having a town hall meeting on February 4th this year.”
She said that the town hall meeting will bring together teams from various states, including Commissioners of Environment, international partners, and stakeholders, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for financing mangrove conservation and protection in Nigeria while focusing on identifying grant opportunities.
She added that: “The mangrove site visit and the town hall meeting are part of our preparatory efforts towards the event we’re having in March in Lagos State, which is a symposium on the intersection between arts, climate change, and the mangroves, and then have the art exhibition on March 5th.
“When you’re talking about the Arts day and the environmental day, our focus is working with all stakeholders to focus on planting trees. We know that Nigeria is dealing with accelerated reduction of our forest cover, so planting trees will also enforce that as well, and that is also part of the nature-based climate solution.”
She said the mangrove breakthrough initiative aims to raise $4bn in sustainable finance, focusing on mangrove conservation, afforestation, and protection, adding that: “Nigeria is aiming to be part of that $4bn, and that’s why we’re having the roadmap. One of the challenges we have identified about mangrove afforestation, conservation, and protection is the absence of a policy document.
“Recently, Indonesia has received finance from the World Bank to develop and to do mangrove conservation, but that’s a loan. I’m looking at how Nigeria can warehouse climate finance grants, so Nigeria must have a strategy document, and that’s what that roadmap is about.”
