Environment
Nigeria Secures $7.8 Million For Forests Protection Programme
The MOSOP President, Mr Legborsi Piagbara (right) present his welcome address to the Hon Minister for Environment, Amina Muhammad (left) during her visit to Ogoni on Federal Government on clean-up of Ogoniland recently.
Nigeria has secured a
7.8 million dollars credit from International Donors, for the implementation of the National Programme on the Reduction of Emmission from Deforestation and Degradation ( REDD) plus programme.
The programme is an initiative by the United Nations for the protection forests against destructions across the world.
The programme popularly known as cop 15 was initiated by the United Nations in 2009 at Copenhagen Denmark.
The Agreement was signed by Nigeria in 2012 and Cross River State was designated as pilot state, and in 2015, the programme was scale up in Nigeria with the addition of Ondo and Nassarawa States.
The project coordinator for Ondo State, Mr John Akinnuba told The Tide in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt, that the money was second between 2012 and 2016.
Mr Akinnuba specified that four million dollars was secured in 2012 for the implementation of the pilot programme in Cross River State while this year, 3.8 million dollars was granted to the Govenrment to scale up the project in Nassarawa and Ondo States.
According to him, the first phase of the programmes involves building institutional structures and putting of framework, while second phase will involve piloting, field survey and technological mapping, while phase three involves data gathering and analysis and the establishment of reference emission level which is the basis for the payment of carbon credit.
“The Redd plus is a programme of action to mitigate climate change by payments and compensations to governments and communities that protect the forests in forms of credit from carbon generated from the protected forests” he said.
According to him, since carbon dioxide is the major component coursing global warming, the progrmame will ensure that the carbon generated from the forest can be captured, measured and sold in the carbon market, stressing that by so doing. Forest communities will be given livelihood support. Mr Akinnuba said that Nigeria stands to benefit maximally from the programme as its forest resources would be preserved, while employment will be reduced through the unempowerment of communities.
The Environmentalist stressed the need for governments of the Niger Delta States to queue into the programme with the view to protecting its forests and biodiversities from destruction.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.
