By Anote Ajeluorou
Nigeria’s inability to successfully manage virtually every aspect
of her socio-economic and cultural sectors has become legendary. Even having to
establish enabling laws and policy thrusts that could empower willing individuals
and corporate organisations to intervene and make life meaningful often poses
its own sets of challenges. The result is usually monumental and avoidable rot
in several aspects of national life.
One such neglected natural
treasure requiring urgent attention is Nigeria’s coastal areas and wetlands
that suffer from various degradations, with the resultant loss of a vital
economic resource. However, one organisation at the forefront of spearheading
efforts to restore, preserve, conserve and promote the coastal wetlands of
Nigeria is Eco Restoration Foundation of Nigeria (ERFON). It’s Executive Director,
Mr. David Omaghomi, is leading a major campaign that would see to the
regeneration of devastated coastland areas so they could play vital socio-economic
roles in the lives of the people.
To kick off this
nationwide campaign is the 9Ja Eco-Charity
Festival 2015 concert and other associated ongoing events being organised to
take Lagosians outdoors fun activities at New Lekki Beach, Elegushi, Lekki,
Lagos. Starting out on Christmas day, December 25, the charity show that ends
on January 2, 2016 features a lot of fun games ranging from music, comedy, dance, water sports,
beach volleyball and beach soccer which the organisation is utilising to
promote and raise awareness about environmental responsibility among Nigerians.
The fiesta also gave opportunity to
youngsters to showcase their talents as they performed to thrill the huge crowd
of spectators. Prizes were also won in various performance activities like
dancing, singing, rapping, fashion and lots more. Also, many others simply
caught fun splashing the ocean waves that crashed on the clean sandy beach and
on the abandoned ship moored on the beachhead. There was music, food, drinks
and assortment of games for children; some rode merry-go-round and horses.
According to the organiser, Omaghomi, 9Ja
Eco-Charity Festival 2015 is designed to raise awareness about
environmental issues in Nigeria’s coastline areas and how they could be made
clean and friendly for economic and tourism purposes.
“We’re utilising the instrument of
entertainment to preserve and restore eco-friendly coastlines,” Omaghomi noted.
“It’s a Green Theme event designed to promote environmental responsibility and
sustainability. Participants are being trained on waste management practices at
homes and workplaces as well as planting of trees.”
Omaghomi said the highpoint of the festival was the planting of 3,000 trees by
performing artistes and dignitaries on the beach stretch that would act as
buffer to the encroaching ocean and would last till the end of the festival. He
stated that the ocean surging had claimed over 500 metres of beachland and
still ragging. He further lamented the loss of the coconut trees that used to
be the attraction of Lagos beaches to the ocean surge. Omaghomi stressed that
if immediate intervention strategies were not deployed to stem further
encroachment of the ocean, Lagos would be robbed of its beautiful beaches in no
distant future.
OMAGHOMI’S
restoration campaign project is multifaceted. He has a number of programmes
lined up next year that aligns with other world bodies’ efforts to draw
attention to the country’s environmental degradation with a view to providing
remedy. For instance, The Niger Atlantic Restoration Project conference would
be held on June 5, 2016 in commemoration of World Environmental Day. Also,
there would be inauguration of Eco Centre at New Lekki Beach to coordinate all
activities of the various coastal wetland campaigns.
ERFON will host Nigeria Aqua Tourism and Expo
June 5 – 8, 2016 in dual commemoration of World Environmental Day and World
Ocean Day. This would be preceded by the commemoration of World Wetland Day on
March 22, 2016.
The Niger Delta coastlines devastated by oil
spills due to the activities of multinational oil companies is on the radar of
Eco Restoration Foundation of Nigeria. Also, the immediate removal of wrecked
and abandoned ships on various ports in the country forms another area ERFON is
working on to make seas shores safe for the contingent communities in port
areas.
Bio-remediation of oil-impacted coastal areas
of the Niger Delta to rid of it of oil pollution, Omaghomi stressed, was key to
reclaiming the once beautiful aquatic life of those areas. Also related to the
bio-remediation is the removal of abandoned ships in ports and coastal areas
across the country. On the hull of the abandoned ship on New Lekki Beach is the
signature inscription, ‘Save Our Coast,’ through which Omaghomi is asking
appropriate authorities to tow such ships out of beaches for their effective
use as tourism and relaxation spots and fishing points as well.
“We intend to preserve the coastal wetlands
with a view to highlighting their contributions to the nation for their
alternative uses for tourism, sports and farming, especially aquaculture,”
Omaghomi said on the first day of the festival. “Lekki Beach is an impacted
environment, the most impacted ecosystem in Lagos having lost about 500 metres
of beachland and coconut tress to the ocean erosion. Our flag off here is both
symbolic and important to environmental issues”.
To accomplish his work, Omaghomi has co-opted
several individuals and organizations as partners and ambassadors. Lagos State
Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Department of Petroleum Resources
(DPR) and Agency for Forest and Nature – Forest Support (Belgian Agency) are
some of the organisations ERFON is working with to realise environmental
sustainability in coastal areas. Individuals such as Nollywood star Ini Edo, Frank Edoho, radio DJ, Diplomatic OPJ and
others.
The boss of ERFON who said he is driven by
passion and his concern for the environment expressed sadness at Nigeria’s
inability to tap into the rich economic resource of coastal wetlands as other
countries are doing. The Microbiology major from University of Benin, Benin
City, with certificates in environmental management, has worked with oil
services companies and has had firsthand encounter with oil spills and their
devastating impact on the coastal wetland of the Niger Delta, and from which he
draws his passion for his work.
Omaghomi who confessed to being very
nature-friendly, noting, “I have seen how oil damages the eco-system and robs
the local community of their livelihood. We cannot just sit back and watch. We
have to collaborate to help in our own small ways”.
Nigeria’s inability to tap into the resource
of coastal wetland is another motivating force driving his organization.
According to him, “It’s a shame we have nearly zero receipts from aqua tourism
as against other countries. The right time is now before our oil dries up. President
Muhammadu Buhari should consider Integrated Coastal Areas Management Plan
(ICAMP) which should look at adopting a national master plan for tourism for
the country”.
He noted that the time had come for Nigeria
to set apart designated tourism sites across the country to encourage investors
in the coastlands and forest areas, saying such sites should be areas where no
one else would venture to build or farm on. Omaghomi also said the country
needed a 20-year development plan to kick-start tourism investment as it could
be the next money-spinner for Nigeria if properly managed.
For
Omaghomi, Nigeria’s beaches and coastal areas are treasures – both economic and
touristic – which Nigeria’s complacence was allowing to waste away. He wants
the degradation halted so restoration and remediation measures can be carried
out to save the country’s neglected but rich natural resource in coastal
wetlands.
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