The mangrove forests of the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria will soon be restored. It is a commitment recently made by Nigeria’s Minister of State for the Environment Sharon Ikeazor.
“Mangrove For Live Project” is the name of the initiative, which aims to restore degraded mangrove forests and maintain those that are still in good condition in Nigeria. The project will soon be launched in this West African country. The first phase will focus on mangrove forests in the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria. The announcement was made on July 26, 2020 by Nigeria’s Minister of State for the Environment Sharon Ikeazor, on the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. The project is being implemented by Wetlands Africa, a subsidiary of Wetlands International, an organization dedicated to wetland conservation and restoration; and the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM), a coalition of stakeholders working on West African coastal issues covering seven countries.
According to Minister Sharon Ikeazor, Nigeria has the largest coverage of mangroves in Africa, and the fourth largest in the world. She added that more than 60% of these mangroves, equivalent to 6,000 km2, are in the Niger Delta region. Read more…