To foster collaboration among key stakeholders in addressing environmental challenges in the Niger-Delta, Ashoka Africa has organized a capacity-building workshop for women and youths from Alode Community in Eleme and other environmentally impacted communities in Rivers State.
The training, which took place in Port Harcourt at the weekend, focused on deepening grassroots participation aimed at driving sustainable climate action by exposing participants to how to engage and demand climate justice from the polluters of the environment.
The training was part of a Stakeholder Engagement Session for the Climate Justice Community of Practice (CJCoP), an initiative launched in 2024 to foster collaboration among key stakeholders to co-create strategies that promote climate justice and, as well, address pressing environmental challenges in the region.
Speaking at the workshop, the Regional Director, Ashoka West Africa, Josephine Nzerem, said the aim of the engagement is to bring about an empowered community of people that can stand and demand their rights from the powers degrading their environment.
She said the era of community people standing aloof and expecting strangers to push for environmental justice for them was no longer tenable. She called on the communities to own up to the challenges facing them and be the advocates for whatever intervention they need.
She added that one way of ensuring that community members can demand climate justice was by boosting their awareness and capacity through such engagement.
She said: “We have to, first of all, build the power of the community members to understand and own the problem in order for them to be advocates of the community because if you don’t do that, they will always be at the other end expecting an outsider to come and do it and give them dividends because it’s their climate that’s being destroyed. But we are now putting the power into their hands, telling them, you are the ones that know where the problem is; an outsider does not know. So any intervention must be designed by the community people.
“We want to stop the practice of people throwing their hands in the air and pointing fingers while nothing gets done, so what’s the purpose? We want everyone to own this problem, we want everyone’s voices to be heard, and we want all of us to collaboratively come to a solution and begin to implement that solution.”
She expressed hope that the engagement and training would lead to an empowered community that can demand access to resources to improve their living standards and also improve their health, saying: “This will improve the economy and health because part of the problem that the women identified is how all the environmental degradations have affected their health, especially respiratory challenges.”
She noted that the initiative aligns with global climate action goals and reinforces the importance of local engagement in shaping policies that drive environmental sustainability.
She said that through knowledge exchange, policy advocacy, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, the CJCoP will support long-term strategies that promote environmental equity and resilience in the Niger-Delta.
Meanwhile, Rivers State has expressed its readiness to partner with Ashoka Africa and other relevant agencies in addressing environmental issues in the state.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Gbara, stated the state’s readiness at the engagement meeting. He said the Rivers State Government, led by Siminialayi Fubara, is concerned about the environment because whatever affects the environment affects everybody in the state.
He said: “For us as a government, we pledge our commitment to ensuring that we partner with all relevant stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, institutions, and individuals, including the international oil companies who are the ones polluting our environment. We want to partner with every one of you so that we can know what you have to bring to bear for us.
“We feel happy to see individuals and organizations coming out voluntarily to bear some of our burdens because what you are doing here is some of our work. So our doors are open as a government and as a ministry to work with you. Whatever you want us to do, tell us, and we are ready to give you that support,” Gbara added.
On her part, Dr. Mina Ogbanga, one of the partners in the program, said it is important to train community women and youths on how to speak up and engage because they are the most impacted by climate change and environmental degradation.
She emphasized that the training would help them tackle most of the challenges that come with environmental degradation, including improving their coping skills.
The Niger-Delta region faces severe environmental degradation due to industrial activities, oil spills, gas flaring, and deforestation. These challenges have led to declining agricultural productivity, loss of livelihoods, and significant health risks for affected communities. The CJCoP is designed to be a transformative platform where government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector players, and educational institutions can co-create solutions that prioritize climate resilience and equitable environmental policies.
Ashoka’s approach emphasizes grassroots mobilization and institutional collaboration to ensure inclusive and community-driven solutions. The CJCoP will equip young people with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate for climate justice, build sustainable solutions, and actively participate in decision-making processes.
