Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have said that carbon offset can create alternative livelihoods, reduce criminality, and violence in the Niger Delta region, which is negatively impacted by oil exploration.
The CSOs are Search for Common Ground, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND). They are partners in implementing a European Union (EU)-funded project in Nigeria – Community-Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta.
The project provides an important point for tackling challenges of environmental degradation, underdevelopment, and insecurity.
Carbon offset is an action intended to compensate for the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as a result of industrial or other human activity, especially when quantified and traded as part of a commercial scheme.
At a National Dissemination and Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Carbon Offset in the Niger Delta in Abuja, Country Director, Search for Common Ground Nigeria, Mr. About Ouattara, lamented that though the Niger Delta is rich in natural endowment, decades of gas flaring, oil spills, and unsustainable extraction practices have left it grappling with environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, and declining health.
The dialogue was organised by the three CSOs. Ouattara said that carbon emissions in the region are among the highest in Africa, largely due to gas flaring and the informal oil economy.
He described the region as a paradox of abundance and adversity, as the emissions not only contribute significantly to global climate change but also erode the resilience of the local ecosystem and heighten socio-economic vulnerabilities.
“The result is a cycle where environmental harm fits into under-development, which in turn fuels conflict and criminality,” he said.
He said the Niger Delta has borne the brunt of extractive activities for too long, saying that “it is time that its people also benefit from the opportunities of a sustainable future.”
According to him, the report of a study, Carbon Scope Study, has illuminated how carbon market opportunities can be harnessed not only to reduce emissions but also to create alternative livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and strengthen community resilience.
The EU, he said, commissioned the University of Port Harcourt to conduct the study.
“By aligning carbon offset strategies with the aspirations of local communities, this initiative ensures that environmental solutions also serve as peace-building tools, breaking the cycle of ecological harm, economic exclusion, and conflict, and paving the way for a greener, safer, and more prosperous Niger Delta.
“We take the next step, which is to disseminate the findings of the scoping study, to integrate state and regional insights into national strategies, to foster consensus and collective ownership of carbon offset mechanisms, and to promote people-centred solutions that prioritise both environmental resilience and peace.”
Country Director, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), Florence Kayemba, said that pollution in the Niger Delta has continued to affect livelihoods, contributed to unemployment, and also to crime and violence.
“So, this particular workshop to us is extremely important as carbon offset initiatives have the potential to address some of the drivers of crime and violence within the region.
“But what’s most important is to ensure, as they seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that those who are largely affected by environmental degradation can benefit from these initiatives,” she said.
Programme Manager, European Foreign Policy Institute, Dakar, Mr. Eric Pitos, noted that as a key energy player in West Africa, Nigeria is diversifying its energy mix and investing more in sustainable solutions.
“By joining global branches on renewable efficiency and methane reductions and by engaging in the global carbon pricing challenge, Nigeria is signalling that it seeks to be at the forefront of Africa’s cleaner energy future. This creates real opportunities for investments, technology exchange, and cooperation with the EU and beyond.
“Together we must ensure that carbon offsets deliver real climate benefits, support inclusive development, and help keep the 1.5-degree objective within reach,” he said.
