Nigerian Activists Sound Alarm: $11 Billion Highway, Forest Destruction Threaten Our Future

Environmental activists in Nigeria are calling for stronger measures to protect the country’s natural resources, arguing that safeguarding the environment is essential for ensuring a livable future [170810]. The activists stress that this goal requires sustained and immediate action from all sectors of society, including government, businesses, and individuals [170810]. Their demands come as a massive $11 billion coastal highway project raises alarms among environmentalists, fishermen, and local villagers [170096]. The project, aimed at improving transport and boosting tourism, could speed up coastal erosion, destroy nearby forests, and damage the livelihoods of people who depend on the sea and land for food and income [170096].

Prominent environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey has urged Edo State in southern Nigeria to protect its forests and stop environmental damage [167643]. Speaking at Igbinedion University in Okada, Bassey warned that deforestation and pollution are making the region more vulnerable to climate shocks [167643]. He called for a faster shift to clean energy, stressing that saving the forests is essential for the state’s future [167643]. His appeal comes at a time when many Nigerian states face rising temperatures and extreme weather [167643].

Meanwhile, farmers in Akwa Ibom state have pledged to stop bush burning and plant more trees to fight climate change, as experts warned that rising temperatures are already disrupting food production [167645]. At a World Environment Day event in Etinan, participants agreed to use “nature-based solutions”—methods that work with natural ecosystems—to protect their farms [167645]. These include planting trees to restore soil and using natural pest control instead of chemicals [167645]. “We cannot ignore what is happening to our land,” one participant said. “Bush burning destroys the soil. We must change our methods” [167645].