The Coordinator, Community Environment and Development Network (CEDEN), Mr. Menidin Egbo, has advocated the restoration of extinct species due to oil pollution in the environment around Nigeria’s pioneer oilfield.
Speaking on Saturday during a workshop tagged: “Restoring lost species” in Otuabagi Community in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State.
Egbo said that the project will restore lost raffia forest ecology and establish eco-resource conservation processes for enhancing women ecologically based livelihoods through sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products in the Ekpadio swamp forest area of Otuabagi Community.
Otuabagi community is host to Oloibiri Well 1, where oil was stuck in commercial quantities in 1956 and made Nigeria a dominant player in the global oil market.
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“This Otuabagi site (in Olei clan) hosts the famous Oloibiri Oil Well 1-Nigeria’s first commercially viable petroleum crude production efforts in 1956.,” Egbo noted.
“The project objective is to re-introduce Raffia (palm) trees for ecological restoration/preservation; to reform local eco-regulatory policies/practice.
“To establish sustainable ecology-based communication for enhancing environmental governance; to enhance women’s role as custodian of ecological values.
“To promote eco-resources evaluation and documentary for enhancing sustainable prospects,” he said.
He explained that the Global Greenland Fund (GGF) funded project of 2022 raised awareness on ecological values, services and benefits across 11 communities of the Olei clan designed to improve social development in local communities.
