For residents of Bodo Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, the return of periwinkles and fiddler crabs to parts of their mangrove environment is more than an environmental development. It is a sign that an ecosystem that supports their livelihoods may be finding its way back.

The development followed the planting of 5,000 indigenous trees by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.

One year after the trees were planted, a post-planting assessment conducted in May 2026 showed an estimated 95 per cent survival rate across the two locations, with early signs of ecological recovery already emerging.

The initiative, implemented under Julius Berger’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability agenda, saw 2,500 trees planted in Bodo in 2025 as part of mangrove restoration efforts, while another 2,500 were planted at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.

At the Bodo restoration site, field assessments have confirmed the return of periwinkles (Tympanotonus fuscatus) and fiddler crabs (Uca species), which environmental experts recognise as indicators of a healthy mangrove ecosystem.

Their return suggests that ecological conditions are improving, including the quality of sediments and water, while natural processes within the mangrove habitat are gradually being restored.

For local residents, particularly women who harvest and process periwinkles for food and income, the development also carries a direct economic benefit.

Beyond supporting biodiversity, the recovering mangrove ecosystem is expected to strengthen shoreline protection, reduce erosion, improve nutrient cycling and increase carbon storage, helping communities in the Niger Delta build resilience against the effects of climate change.

Julius Berger said the project demonstrates how private-sector investment in nature-based solutions can produce both environmental and socio-economic benefits while supporting Nigeria’s climate and sustainability goals.

The initiative supports the NCF’s Green Recovery Nigeria programme, which aims to increase Nigeria’s forest cover to 25 per cent by 2047 through ecosystem restoration, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction.

With about 95 per cent of the trees surviving a year after planting, stakeholders believe the project shows how sustained monitoring, community participation and partnerships between the private sector and conservation organisations can turn tree planting into lasting environmental recovery.

For Bodo residents, however, the most visible evidence may be simpler: the return of species that once formed part of the community’s natural environment, and the livelihood opportunities that come with them.