The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to climate action and environmental protection as it marked the 2026 World Environment Day recently in Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Projects, of the NDDC, Dr. Victor Antai, represented by the Director II, Environmental Protection and Control, Elder Henry Okokon, said the Commission was focused on strategic environmental projects aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems and building climate resilience across the region.
“The Niger Delta has borne the environmental consequences of intensive resource exploitation for decades. Oil spills, gas flaring, coastal erosion, flooding, deforestation, and poor waste disposal continue to threaten livelihoods, biodiversity, and sustainable development,” Antai stated.
He further noted that, under the leadership of the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the Commission had placed environmental sustainability at the centre of its development agenda.
He listed ongoing interventions to include environmental remediation, ecosystem restoration, flood and erosion control projects, sustainable waste management initiatives, and climate-resilient livelihood schemes.
Antai revealed that the Commission was strengthening partnerships with research institutions, environmental agencies, and civil society organisations to conserve mangrove forests, wetlands, and other critical ecosystems that serve as natural buffers against climate-related disasters.
He therefore called on oil and gas companies to strengthen compliance with environmental regulations and embrace cleaner technologies. He also urged Niger Delta communities to support conservation efforts, report environmental violations, and adopt environmentally responsible practices.
In her remarks, the Director, Environmental Protection and Control, Mrs. Anthonia Akpan, said climate change was no longer a distant concept but a reality affecting the region through rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns. She noted that the Commission subjects major projects to Environmental Impact Assessments and engages oil companies on pollution prevention measures.
Also speaking, the guest speaker, Prof. Iwekumo Agbozu, described climate change as both a global environmental issue and a local development challenge that requires coordinated responses from governments, institutions, and communities.
