Environment
NGO Urges Collective Fight Against Flooding
The Country Director, Centre for Development and Support Initiative, Mrs. Mina Margret Ogbanga has called for the collective effort of everybody in Rivers to reduce the impact of flooding in the state.
She told our correspondent during an interview that flooding is a natural phenomenon which would certainly take place but the damage could be reduced if adequate control measures were put in place.
Reacting to the recent predictions by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that this year would witness heavy storms and flooding, she said. “NEMA’s announcement calls for order. It needs to be taken very seriously because flooding will take place whether we like it or not”.
She advised that various groups of people in the state and the entire country should be made to understand how they could prevent the flooding of their immediate environment by making environmental issues so simple that people could relate with them.
“People want to know the breakdown of activities they can carry out which will meet the needs of their environment. Make them know the importance of doing simple things like clearing their drainages and gutters.
“A lot has been said about climate change, Greenhouse gases, Ozone depletion simplify these issue and let the people know in simple terms how they can contribute to these problems and what they should do to mitigate the effects.
She said the town planning structures of the state should be implemented to guide development and prevent people from erecting structures at wrong places, adding that when the town planning structures were not adhered to, it could result to a lot of environmental problems like flooding.
She explained that when waters from the rains do not drain easily due to the blockage of the water channels by illegal structures, the waters would accumulate somewhere and cause a lot of havoc for the people living within the environment.
Mrs. Ogbanga therefore challenged everybody – builders, students, researchers, academia, civil society organisations, NGOs, various levels of government to contribute their quotas towards ensuring a flood free environment in the state and Nigeria.
“Everybody has a role to play. You as an individual what are you doing about your own immediate environment? Are you throwing dirts to the gutters? Are you planting trees around your environment to guard against heavy flood?
“You as a teacher in a school, do you educate the young ones on how they can protect their environment? She queried, adding that government should implement the existing environmental laws and make people abide by them.
Commenting on the Federal Government’s plan to plant 37 million trees in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) the Country Director said that was a laudable project but advised that the N5 billion mapped out for the project should be used judiciously and the right people should be engaged to carry out the project.
“We need to have the right people carrying out the activities. There needs to be a peer review mechanism, a monitoring structure to be able to even show that what is to be done, has been done”, she advised.
Calista Ezeaku
The Ministry of Environment on Thursday in Abuja, advanced its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, validating a comprehensive plan aimed at tackling climate-related challenges in the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Mahmud Kambari, said this at the Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on the Development of the concept notes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for NAP in Nigeria.
Kambari, who was represented by Mrs Victoria Pwol, the Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the ministry, said that the workshop is a collective resolve to confront the realities of climate change with purpose, strategy, and coordinated action.
“Over the past years, the Federal Government of Nigeria, with crucial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has made significant progress in advancing the NAP process.
“As a nation, we stand at a critical juncture where climate risks ranging from extreme weather events to environmental degradation continues to threaten our socio-economic stability, food systems, public health, infrastructure, and national development aspirations.
“Through extensive technical work, we have completed a Climate Risk Assessment across all geopolitical and agro-ecological zones, developed an Economic Appraisal, an Adaptation Finance Strategy, and a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.”
Kambari said that these foundational elements now guide Nigeria to identify priority adaptation needs and investment opportunities.
“Let me mention that we are at the tail end of this NAP Formulation Process and looking forward to the implementation phase.
“This workshop therefore serves as a strategic purpose to harmonise perspectives across key MDAs; refine project ideas into strong, evidence-based concept notes.
“It will ensure that proposed interventions align with national priorities and the investment criteria of the GCF and position Nigeria to competitively access the resources required to strengthen resilience across vulnerable sectors,” he said.
Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, the Director DCC in the Ministry said that the engagement would enhance achievements by collaboratively developing bankable, climate-resilient concept notes that align with national priorities and meet the GCF’s investment requirements.
Abiola-Awe who was represented by Dr Jonah Barde in the Ministry said that the workshop represented an important step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
She added that the workshop would advance sustainable development, and mobilise the climate finance needed to safeguard Nigeria’s communities, ecosystems, and economy from the growing impacts of climate change.
Effective communication, transparency, and science-based risk assessments are the cornerstones of Nigeria’s approach to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Mr Bello Bwari, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), gave the assurance during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
“Where there is communication, you reduce conflict. Effective communication is key, effective engagement with stakeholders is paramount and key to making Nigeria better.
Bwari said anti GMO’s critics keep participants and practitioners on their toes.
“We value them and we expect that their criticisms, suggestions and recommendations will make our operations in the entire spectrum better.
“Where we are not doing so well, we will hear from them, where we can advance explanations, we will advance explanations. Where they are not doing well, we will tell them. We will not run away from doing that.
“But I want to assure you that we are bold enough to face anybody who is not fact-based,” he said.
He reassured that sometime before the end of the second quarter of 2026 there would be a retreat where all stakeholders would be invited.
“And also, the impact we are bringing is going to be measurable by the end of 2026. And going forward, what we do by the end of 2026 will form the basis of our five-year plan.
“There’s a five-year plan which will start at the end of 2026. So, I enjoin the media to please report what you know as a matter of fact, not as a matter of opinion.
“We all have different opinions, but some of our opinions are not facts. From the quality of what I see on papers, reportage, I think largely I’m impressed with what the press is doing in Nigeria so far,” he said.
Bwari stated that Nigerians deserved to understand what NBMA regulates, why they regulate it, and how decisions were made.
“Part of my focus going forward will be strengthening engagement with the media, researchers, policymakers, and the public because regulation works best when it is understood.
“We are not promoters of any technology, and we are not opponents of innovation. We are regulators.
“But at its core, biosafety is about prevention, caution, and preparedness. It is about ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety, and that national development never compromises public health or environmental integrity,” he said.
He promised to uphold the law without fear or favour, communicate more clearly with the public and ensure that every regulatory decision was transparent, evidence-based, and accountable
“NBMA is not an advocacy agency. Our duty is to assess risks, enforce safeguards, and ensure compliance with national and international biosafety standards.I also want to emphasise that public trust matters.
He further urged the media to help Nigerians understand biosafety and biosecurity in a better way.
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