Communities in Nigeria’s Niger Delta are among the most degraded communities in the world. The Niger Delta has become a symbol of degraded environments; the impacts can easily be felt on land, in water and in the air. This has led to various problems ranging from climate change, loss and damage, destruction of livelihood, socio-cultural problems, and health issues.

The Niger Delta region has gained the dubious fame of being one of the top ten most polluted places on Earth. The state of neglect is compounded by years of pollution from fossil industries. Oil has been commercially extracted in the Niger Delta since 1956. With fossil fuels driving climate change and entering their last phase as a dominant energy source, the situation of the Niger Delta region requires urgent attention. The extraction activities by multinational companies including Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Elf, and Agip have caused serious environmental, loss and damage in the region. Crude oil extraction has caused the pollution of the river basin and surrounding land, the destruction of subsistence crops, and the expropriation of local residents’ territory. The opposition of local communities has been brutally repressed by police forces, resulting in bloodshed and hundreds of deaths. Shell, Chevron, Agip, Total, Indorama, Pan Ocean, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with other oil companies are currently operating in the Niger Delta region of the country. The ongoing fossil fuel extraction has led to extensive environmental degradation including the contamination of air, water, and soil, which continue to negatively affect the health of local communities. This is despite the country being party to the Paris Agreement, which is an incredible opportunity for Nigeria to follow the path of Low Carbon Development. This would in turn facilitate sustainable development. Nigeria, as one of the largest economies in Africa, should be a beacon for other African states by accelerating its plans towards a rapid, just transition towards embracing 100% renewable energy.

The overall goal of the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference is to work together to promote climate action by uniting Niger Delta grassroots leaders’ voices to mitigate the impacts of climate change. This will be achieved by creating awareness on the negative impacts of fossil fuels and climate change in Nigeria and strengthening Niger Delta coalition action towards achieving climate justice and a just transition to renewable sources of energy.

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The conference will bring together Niger Delta grassroots leaders, women‘s groups, youth groups, civil society actors, community based organizations, academia, researchers, activists, farmers, fishers, and government officials to discuss and provide collective solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change in the region and Nigeria at large.

The Niger Delta Climate Change Conference is organized by Lekeh Development Foundation.

Conference website and graphic design by Victor Max Smith.

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Speakers of the conference include Rev. Dr. Nnimmo Bassey the Executive Director Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Barr. Chima Williams the Executive Director Friends of the Earth Nigeria/Environmental Rights Action (FoEN/ERA), The National Coordinator GEF Small Grant Program Nigeria, Her Majesty Emem Okon, the Executive Director of KebetKache, Dr. George Grace Lecturer Rivers State University, Prof. Daniel S. Ugwu, Moderator, Comrade Ken Henshaw, Executive Director We The People, Akpobari Celestine – Environmental/Rivers Rights Activist.

Solidarity Speeches from Nerissa Anku Ghana, Darren Cullen UK, Former commissioner of Environment Delta state, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment Rivers State, and His Royal Majesty Suanu Baridam. The conference is going to be chaired by the former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof. B. B. Fakae