…As Lulu Briggs seeks community participation in climate action, green enterprise

As part of activities to mark the World Sustainability Day 2026, Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs has unveiled a proposed statewide sustainability drive targeting the mobilisation of 319,000 environmental marshals across Rivers State’s 319 wards to promote environmental protection, climate resilience and green livelihood opportunities.

The initiative, RESET2Green Rivers, powered by the FREE2RESET Initiative, is designed to encourage grassroots participation in environmental sustainability while connecting communities with skills development, green enterprise and employment opportunities.

Speaking to mark World Sustainability Day 2026, Lulu Briggs said the initiative would place communities at the centre of efforts to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable practices in homes, schools, markets, farms, waterways and public spaces.

Under the campaign theme, “Greener Wards. Stronger Communities. A Sustainable Rivers State,” the programme seeks to transform environmental awareness into practical action while creating opportunities for residents to participate in emerging green economic activities.

“A sustainable Rivers State begins with people who have the knowledge, opportunity and support to improve the places where they live and work.

“I am calling for the mobilisation of 319,000 RESET2Green Marshals across our 319 wards to turn environmental awareness into practical community action. Through RESET2Green Rivers, powered by the FREE2RESET Initiative, we can connect cleaner neighbourhoods, healthier ecosystems and green livelihood opportunities with the everyday aspirations of Rivers people,” he said.

The mobilisation target represents an average of 1,000 marshals per ward across the state’s 23 local government areas. The proposed network would help communities identify environmental priorities, coordinate local activities and engage relevant institutions, technical experts and development partners.

The initiative identifies 13 areas of intervention, including ecomobility, environmental education and advocacy, green building infrastructure, clean energy, clean cooking, ecosystem conservation and climate-smart agriculture.

Others are green technology hubs, circular economy, ecotourism, green impact investment, green jobs and green smart data infrastructure.

Through its green jobs component, the initiative seeks to connect interested residents with relevant skills training, apprenticeships, enterprise support and employment opportunities, subject to available programmes and labour-market demand.

The climate-smart agriculture component would promote training in soil management, water conservation, agroforestry and resilient farming practices, while the ecosystem conservation component would encourage community stewardship of mangroves, wetlands, waterways and other natural resources.

The circular economy component would promote waste prevention, sorting, reuse, recycling, repair and composting, with the aim of encouraging more responsible waste management and creating opportunities for enterprises involved in resource recovery.

The clean energy and clean cooking components would focus on raising awareness about energy efficiency and appropriate renewable energy and cleaner cooking solutions, while connecting households and businesses with credible technical providers.

The green technology hubs would seek to connect young people, artisans and entrepreneurs with practical learning, innovation support and opportunities to develop solutions to environmental challenges in their communities.

Lulu Briggs called on community associations, educational institutions, youth and women’s groups, organisations of persons with disabilities, businesses and development partners to support the initiative through technical expertise, training, services and resources.

He said the proposed implementation framework would begin with community consultations, participant registration, training and the development of locally agreed action plans.

The organisers also proposed a reporting framework to distinguish registered participants from active marshals, completed activities from measurable environmental outcomes, and resources pledged from resources actually received.

The target of 319,000 marshals remains a mobilisation ambition, with registration, training, active participation and verified results to be reported separately. Participation as a marshal would not automatically constitute paid employment.

RESET2Green Rivers, powered by the FREE2RESET Initiative, promotes environmental restoration, climate resilience, sustainability education and green livelihoods through community participation, practical action and technical partnerships