By Abbas Nazil
The international non-governmental organization Mangrove Action Project (MAP) has expressed grave concern regarding the reported clearance of a 100-hectare mangrove restoration site in Esierebom, Cross River State.
MAP warning stated that flattening the restored ecosystem to construct an ultramodern marketplace jeopardizes years of community-led conservation efforts and exposes the coastline to heightened risks of flooding, land subsidence, and severe erosion.
In an official letter addressed to Dr. Edu Effiom of the Cross River State Climate Change Council, MAP Advocacy Director and Co-Founder Alfredo Quarto highlighted the destruction of over 13,000 mangrove seedlings cultivated and planted over two years by the youth-driven Biodiversity Rescue Club (BRC) alongside local volunteers.
Supported by the UN-REDD Programme and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, the initiative represented a successful community-backed effort to regenerate degraded Niger Delta coastal habitats.
Quarto criticized the lack of public consultation and questioning why the proposed market could not be situated on alternative inland terrain to preserve the vital coastal wetland.
MAP endorsed recommendations submitted by the BRC and the Nigerian Youth Climate Negotiators Network, demanding immediate transparency regarding statutory compliance under Nigeria’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act.
The organization urged the Cross River State Government to halt all active market construction if no formal EIA was conducted, pending a comprehensive baseline environmental review and public consultation process.
Additionally, MAP advocated for an ecosystem-offset framework adhering to a “No Net Loss of Biodiversity” principle, requiring government-backed restoration on alternative degraded land, alongside a formal multi-stakeholder dialogue with Esierebom leaders, urban planners, and civil society groups to institute joint coastal monitoring.
The controversy highlights a sharp contradiction between Cross River State’s ambition to position itself as Nigeria’s “Green Innovation Hub” and the uncoordinated clearance of critical carbon-sink infrastructure.
MAP noted that while commercial development remains important, municipal planners must balance economic expansion with environmental safeguards to protect ecosystems that provide natural coastal defense and maintain regional climate resilience.
