NGO Advocates Nypa Palm Control Centres

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Centre for Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI), has called for the establishment of Nypa palm Control Centres across the coastal areas of the Niger Delta.

Making the call yesterday, in an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, a foundation member and Project Coordinator of CIDI in Rivers State, Mr Daniel Akpan, said such establishment will serve dual purposes.

According to him, Nypa  palm on its own constitutes nuisance to the echo-system of the coastal areas of the Niger Delta as it kills mangrove trees, from which sea foods such as periwinkles, oysters and other molluscs feed.

Akpan, who stated that the establishment of the Nypa palm control centre is important in order to sustain the mangroves and sea foods of the coastal areas, explained that the call is the fourth phase of the Nypa palm project.

“Nypa palm is actually a nuisance to the coastal areas because it causes the disappearance of mangrove trees and depletes the environment.  This is why most  sea foods like periwinkle, oysters and  molluscs are gradually going extinct.

“Wherever Nypa palm grows, it depletes mangroves.  So, when mangroves disappear, they (sea foods) also disappear’, he explained further.

While noting that currently, there are over 500 billion Nypa palm seeds floating along the coast of the Niger Delta, he said the essence of establishing the control centres is to teach people in the coastal areas how to put the palm into profitable economic use.

‘We will teach the people how to harvest Nypa palm and put it to economic use.  The seeds can be dried and used as alternative energy as biomass energy, while the branches can  be used to weave various items for domestic  use.

“We will teach the people how to destroy the palm so that it will not affect the mangrove, while also putting it into profitable use”, he said.

Akpan recalled that in the first phase of the Nypa palm, project, awarness was created on the Nypa palm and its economic value.

“In the second phase, we set up demonstration centres and erected platforms along the coastline where we harvested Nypa palm.

“The third phase was actually a demonstration that the Nypa palm can actually be useful.  We’ve demonstrated it in three centres at Okujagu, Marine Base, and Okruama, all in Okrika.

“The people came out to witness it … as we are pulling out from the three centres now, the centres belong to the people.  We’ve taught them how to manage the centres for their own benefit”, he said.

He continued that this last phases “to share our experiences with the national and international communities”.

He thus called on well-meaning individuals, companies and government at all levels to sponsor the establishment of the control centres in strategic areas of the Niger Delta region.

On his part, the National President of CIDI, Mr Raphael Ogali, said the implication of the 500 billion Nypa palm seeds floating along the coast of the Niger Delta could be dangerous.

“This steady spread of the Nypa palm portends more growth of the palm and possible extinction of the mangrove forests and sea food, if not checked.  This is why the establishment of the Nypa palm control centres is very important”, he said.