Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Stakeholders in the energy, maritime and environmental sectors have urged the Rivers State Government to urgently develop a blue economy framework and commence a comprehensive environmental audit of the state, describing both actions as critical to unlocking economic opportunities and addressing decades of environmental degradation.
The call was made during activities marking the 2026 World Oceans Day organised by the Energy and Maritime Reporters, EMR, at the Rivers State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Port Harcourt.
Participants at the event expressed concern that Rivers State, despite its strategic coastal location and abundant marine resources, was yet to take a leadership role in Nigeria’s emerging blue economy sector.
They urged the state government to establish a dedicated Ministry of Blue Economy and develop a comprehensive blueprint to drive investment and growth in maritime resources, fisheries, coastal tourism, marine transportation and other ocean-based economic activities.
The stakeholders noted that the Federal Government had already created institutional frameworks around the blue economy, stressing that Rivers State risked missing significant economic opportunities if urgent action was not taken.
According to them, the creation of a dedicated ministry would provide a platform for collaboration between government, industry experts, maritime operators and development partners to position the state as a major player in the sector.
The stakeholders also called on the state government to leverage the ongoing Ogoni cleanup programme as a springboard for a broader environmental restoration initiative across Rivers State.
They argued that the expertise, scientific data and institutional structures developed through the Ogoni remediation project could be deployed to conduct a comprehensive environmental audit of the entire state.
The experts further recommended that Rivers State engage the Federal Government, international development partners and multinational oil companies in a coordinated effort to address widespread pollution and environmental degradation.
According to them, such an initiative could serve as a model for other Niger Delta states seeking support for large-scale environmental remediation programmes.
Speaking at the event, energy expert, Dr. Suka Momta, reiterated his claim that his firm had developed a faster, cheaper and more effective technology for cleaning up oil pollution.
“Our nano technology cleans up polluted sites once, while existing technologies require repeated treatments. Oil companies and government agencies have reviewed our discovery and confirmed its effectiveness. We are now expecting our first cleanup project,” he said.
Also speaking, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, called for the total cleanup of the Niger Delta and renewed support for modular refinery development.
Fyneface argued that widespread deployment of modular refineries would significantly reduce crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and artisanal refining activities that continue to pollute the region’s waterways and ecosystems.
In his remarks, Rivers State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia-Nsane, commended EMR for sustaining advocacy on critical issues affecting the energy and maritime sectors.
He described the association as a unique beat group and pledged the support of the NUJ towards strengthening reporting on energy, maritime and environmental matters in the Niger Delta.
The NUJ State Secretary, Dr. Ijeoma Tubosia, also urged journalists covering the sectors to continue providing accurate information and amplifying the concerns of affected communities.
EMR Leader, Mr. Ignatius Chukwu, highlighted emerging environmental threats facing the oceans, particularly the growing menace of microplastics and nanoplastics contaminating marine ecosystems.
He warned that plastic pollution was increasingly threatening global fish stocks and public health, urging private sector organisations, including Indorama Nigeria, to support the establishment of plastic recycling centres across the Niger Delta as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
National Chairman of EMR, Comrade Martins Giadom, traced the association’s efforts to improve reporting on the energy and maritime sectors and stressed the need for continuous capacity building for journalists.
He also advocated stronger collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, to support the group’s environmental and maritime advocacy programmes.
Goodwill messages were delivered by several environmental advocates, including Wonne Afronelly, Initiator of My Environment My Wealth Nigeria, who encouraged journalists to remain committed to environmental advocacy despite challenges confronting the sector.
The World Oceans Day event ended with renewed calls for sustainable management of marine resources, accelerated environmental remediation and stronger policies to position Rivers State and the wider Niger Delta as key beneficiaries of the global blue economy.
