The Oilwatch International, a civil society organisation (CSO), has called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, adopt sustainable measures to address climate change manifestations in the Niger Delta region and the country.
Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, who is the co-ordinator of the group, made the call during the group’s Annual General Meeting, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Ebiaridor said that the theme of the meeting was “Advancing Climate Justice in Nigeria: From fossil fuels to fossil freedom”. He said that decades of environmental degradation and health impact caused by oil exploration and production had necessitated the call for action to curb climate change impact on the citizens.
He listed the transition to renewable energy sources as part of the sustainable measures to address climate change manifestations in the region.
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Ebiaridor further identified the enforcement of strict emission controls on industries, particularly in the oil and gas sector, to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
He also recommended the implementation of energy-efficient practices and technologies in buildings, industries, and transportation systems to reduce energy consumption.
He further encouraged the implementation of climate change adaptation and resilience plans by developing and implementing plans to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, droughts, and floods.
Other measures, he said, included providing support to vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change impacts, including providing climate-resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and climate-related disaster risk reduction.
Ebiaridor expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the environment and the lack of transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector.
He called on the government, multinational oil companies and manufacturing industries to end gas flaring by using the by-product for raw material.
Story was adapted from environewsnigeria.
