Climate change identified as major threat to security, livelihood in Niger Delta

Stakeholders in the environmental sector have identified climate change as a major threat to economic livelihood and security in the Niger Delta.

The assertion was made at the Policy Roundtable on Advancing Climate Resilience, Climate-Sensitive Peacebuilding and Human Security, organized by Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The roundtable featured government agencies, environmentalists, civil society organizations and representatives of climate-vulnerable communities, among others.

The stakeholders noted that flooding, coastal erosion and livelihood losses are deepening human insecurity and resource-based tensions across the region.

Speaking at the event, PIND’s Peacebuilding Programme Manager, Dr David Udofia, who represented the Executive Director, Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo, said climate change should no longer be treated as just an environmental concern. According to him, climate change has become a major factor in poverty and insecurity.

“Climate change is increasingly a livelihood, peace and human-security challenge in the Niger Delta. When farms are flooded, fishing waters are degraded, mangroves are destroyed and families lose their sources of income, the consequences extend far beyond the environment.

“These pressures can deepen poverty, increase displacement, aggravate community grievances and intensify competition over scarce resources. We must therefore integrate climate resilience into peacebuilding and development planning,” Udofia said.

To address the problem, PIND called for climate resilience to be placed at the centre of peacebuilding, development planning and environmental governance across the Niger Delta.

A Policy Brief on Climate Change and Human Security in the Niger Delta, which was unveiled at the event, noted that flooding, coastal erosion, irregular rainfall and environmental degradation are reducing agricultural and fishing productivity, disrupting livelihoods and intensifying competition over increasingly scarce natural resources.

Participants at the event deliberated on practical strategies for protecting climate-sensitive livelihoods, strengthening community adaptation, improving environmental governance and preventing climate-related pressures from escalating existing conflicts.

Chief Amiefamonyo Braid Fredrick Ongiri, Director of Relief and Rehabilitation at the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, BYSEMA, stressed that coordinated action among government, communities, the private sector and development institutions is essential to addressing the scale and complexity of the challenge.

He said, “No institution can address the climate-security challenge alone. The evidence presented today reinforces the need for stronger coordination, better use of data and greater investment in locally led adaptation. The recommendations from this roundtable provide a practical foundation for collective action.”

Speaking on behalf of affected communities, Mr. Ebijimi Olugbenga of Bijimi community, Ilaje Local Government Area, said climate-related changes were already disrupting daily life and placing increasing pressure on households.

“Our livelihoods depend on the land and water, but flooding and environmental degradation are making it increasingly difficult for families to farm, fish and earn an income. Communities must be involved in designing the solutions because we experience these challenges directly and understand what will work locally,” he said.