The Network Advancement Programme for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPDRR) has urged host communities to actively participate in monitoring and reducing methane emissions from extractive activities.
The Executive Director of NAPPDRR, Mr Emem Edoho, made the call in Ibeno Local Government Area (LGA) in Akwa Ibom State during a town hall meeting for extractive communities.
Edoho said that the meeting also included Capacity Strengthening Workshop on Methane Emissions Reduction for the communities.
He described the meeting as a significant step towards advancing environmental justice and community participation in addressing methane emissions in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
He said that the event was organised by NAPPDRR and Policy Alert with support from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and funding from the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
The NAPPDRR boss said host communities should not be left behind in climate and energy discussions because they were the first to experience the environmental and health impacts of extractive activities.
He emphasised that the engagement was critical as methane emissions reduction was not feasible without the stakeholders.
According to him, although the extractive industry remains a key contributor to Nigeria’s economy, its environmental and health consequences are borne first by host communities.
“The workshop was designed to equip participants with knowledge, tools and a voice in how methane emissions are tracked, reported and reduced,” he said.
Edoho said the engagement aimed to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of methane emissions, why they matter, and their effects on public health, livelihoods and the environment.
He said the workshop also aimed to strengthen the capacity of community focal persons to monitor environmental issues and engage relevant stakeholders.
“We built their (participants) skills by training community focal persons on basic monitoring, documentation and engagement with operators and regulators,” he said.
Their contributions, he said, would shape policies and improve industry practices on methane emissions management and assured them of continued collaboration to document community perspectives that would inform policy and industry practice.
He stressed that evidence generated by host communities was essential for promoting transparency and accountability in the extractive sector.
Edoho reaffirmed NAPPDRR’s commitment, alongside Policy Alert, CJID and NRGI, to supporting host communities in securing a safer environment and equitable natural resource governance.
“We remain committed to working with host communities to secure a safer environment and a fair share of benefits from natural resource governance,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the workshop would produce practical outcomes to strengthen community participation in methane emissions reduction and environmental protection.
The stakeholders at the event included traditional rulers, community leaders, women and youth representatives from the five oil-producing LGAs of Ibeno, Esit Eket, Mbo, Onna and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas.
At the end of the meeting, participants adopted a communiqué advocating measurable actions to reduce methane emissions and strengthen environmental enforcement.
They also called for greater transparency in emissions data and meaningful participation of host communities in environmental decision-making.
