By Oluwakemi Kindness
The National Civil Society Coalition for Oil, Gas and Mining Host Communities has called for urgent action to protect and restore Nigeria’s mangrove ecosystems, warning that continued environmental degradation threatens livelihoods in oil-producing communities.
In a statement on Monday signed by its National Coordinator, Lawrence Dube, to mark the 2026 International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, the coalition says Nigeria’s mangrove forests remain critical to food security, biodiversity, climate resilience and the survival of millions of people living in coastal communities.
The group said Nigeria has the largest mangrove ecosystem in Africa, stretching across the Niger Delta, but decades of oil spills, gas flaring, river dredging, illegal logging and weak environmental enforcement have severely degraded the forests.
According to the coalition, the destruction of mangroves has contributed to declining fish stocks, coastal erosion, flooding, biodiversity loss, unemployment and increasing poverty among oil and gas host communities.
The group said environmental restoration must become a central part of development initiatives under the Host Communities Development Trusts established by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
It argued that community development should not be limited to infrastructure projects while the ecosystems that sustain local livelihoods continue to disappear.
The coalition called for the integration of mangrove restoration into Host Communities Development Trust plans, greater transparency in the use of funds and stronger collaboration between communities, government agencies, oil companies, civil society organisations and research institutions.
It also demanded full implementation of environmental clean-up and remediation programmes in areas affected by oil pollution.
The group urged increased participation of women, youths, fisherfolk, people living with disabilities and indigenous community institutions in environmental decision-making and conservation efforts.
It further called for stronger legislative oversight to ensure environmental obligations under the Petroleum Industry Act and other environmental laws are fully implemented.
The coalition said protecting mangroves goes beyond environmental conservation, describing it as an investment in sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience, peace and the future of oil-producing communities.
It urged stakeholders to move beyond symbolic celebrations and commit to practical measures that will restore degraded ecosystems and safeguard the remaining mangrove forests in the Niger Delta.
