The Community Environment and Development Network (CEDEN) has called for the restoration of extinct species and degraded ecosystems caused by decades of oil pollution around Nigeria’s pioneer oilfield in Bayelsa State.
CEDEN Coordinator, Mr. Menidin Egbo, made the call on Saturday during a workshop tagged, “Restoring Lost Species” held in Otuabagi community, Ogbia Local Government Area, host to Oloibiri Well 1, where oil was first struck in commercial quantities in 1956.
Egbo said the new initiative seeks to restore raffia palm ecology in the Ekpadio swamp forest, promote eco-resource conservation, and strengthen women’s livelihoods through sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products.
“The project objective is to re-introduce raffia palms for ecological restoration, reform local eco-regulatory practices, enhance women’s role as custodians of ecological values, and promote environmental governance for long-term sustainability,” he stated.
He recalled that a Global Greenland Fund (GGF)-sponsored project in 2022 raised ecological awareness across 11 communities in the Olei clan, focusing on environmental education and sound ecological management. That initiative, he said, inspired the Otuabagi Women Farmers Association (OWFA) to push for further community-driven conservation efforts.
According to Egbo, the women are now working to register a cooperative to formalize local farmers and continue promoting environmental education for improved conservation in the oil-impacted area.
Speaking at the workshop, Mrs. Gloria Alagbogu, a resource person, stressed the importance of empowering women in environmental governance. She noted that Bayelsa, rich in mangroves, freshwater swamps, and rainforest zones, has been severely degraded by oil exploration, gas flaring, pipeline vandalism, and weak regulatory enforcement.
“These activities not only damage ecosystems but also trigger human-environment conflicts, including land and water disputes, community protests, rising unemployment, and insecurity,” she warned.
Also speaking, Mr. Jeremiah Dagana, Deputy Director of Climate Change at the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, commended CEDEN and its partner, Social Development Integrated Centre–Social Action (SDIC-SA), for spearheading the initiative.
Dagana described Bayelsa as a biodiversity hotspot, but lamented that unregulated logging, oil exploitation, and other harmful activities have continued to threaten the state’s fragile ecosystems.
“Our rich mangrove and rainforest ecosystems are severely damaged. We must act now to protect what remains for future generations,” he said.
The workshop ended with a renewed call for stronger community participation, stricter enforcement of environmental regulations, and sustainable livelihood alternatives for rural dwellers.
