The Nigerian government says it is committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to sustain the mangrove ecosystem and boost its blue economy by promoting climate-resilient livelihoods.

Environment minister Balarabe Lawal stated this during a workshop on the final evaluation and closure of the UK PACT-UN Food and Agriculture Organisation project in Abuja on Tuesday.

The workshop is themed ‘Sustaining integrated mangrove ecosystem management in Nigeria: From achievements to future pathways’.

The event marked the end of the project, which focused on integrated management of mangrove ecosystems and expansion of social protection for fisheries and forest dependents in the coastal communities of Cross River.

Mr Lawal expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for the UK government’s valuable partnership on the project, noting that it helped promote climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods.

“As this project comes to a close, our focus must shift to sustaining and scaling its achievements. We must strengthen community ownership, expand restoration efforts, and promote climate-resilient livelihoods.

“We must leverage emerging opportunities in the blue economy and carbon markets. Our ministry remains steadfast, working with all stakeholders, to consolidate and scale up the gains achieved under this project,” he said.

He said Nigeria would advance implementation of its Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plan, commitments under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and obligations under the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

Governor Bassey Otu commended the project’s significant impact across various sectors of the state’s economy. He decried the challenges posed by increased environmental pressure, unsustainable resource utilisation, and climate-related issues that threaten ecosystems.

The Cross River governor said the project demonstrated that environmental collaboration and socio-economic development could be pursued simultaneously.

“The project paved the way for mangrove restoration and sustainable management initiative, capacity building, promotion of alternative land use, strengthening of community institutions, and support for biodiversity-free and forest-dependent households.

“The government of Cross River recognises that achievements recorded under this project provide a strong foundation for future intervention. We remain committed to sustaining this policy,” he said.

According to Hussein Gadain, UN FAO representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the project demonstrated that when communities, governments, development partners, and other stakeholders work together, transformative change is possible.

“The project has laid a strong foundation for sustainability through the registration of 50 cooperatives, thereby strengthening local institutions and supporting alignment with national climate, environmental, and social protection priorities,” Mr Gadain said.

The project, which started in 2023, ended on June 16, with 4, 827 beneficiaries, 66 per cent of them women, trained on climate-smart agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

It was funded by the UK and Northern Ireland and implemented by FAO in partnership with the British High Commission in Nigeria and the Cross River government. 

The project aimed to strengthen climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods across 50 coastal communities, which included Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, and Odukpani LGAs. 

(NAN)