By Obiabin Onukwugha
A non-governmental organisation, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), has launched a cooperative initiative to recover mangrove lands taken over by Nipa palm in Andoni local government area of Rivers State.
The foundation has already trained about 120 persons from the area on using the Nipa Palm, an evasive species to produce eco-friendly household items such as bags, caps, baskets, footwears, among others.
It has also assisted the beneficiaries on registering a corporative in order to sustain the business venture.
In her presentation at the lunch of the Cooperative, known as Andoni Sustainability Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Tuesday, December 10, Exexutive Dirrctor of Sustainable Actions for Nature, Dr. Grace Alawa, represented by Mr. Emmanuel Davies, stated that invasive species threaten food security and worsen environmental catastrophes across the world.
She also highlighted that invasive species play a key role in 60 percent of recorded plant and animal extinctions, pointing out that taking action to contain, control or manage these populations to limit their spread or reduce impact is required.
She said: “The World Economic Forum estimates the cost of invasive species at $423 billion yearly. Ecological, social, and economic impacts of invasive alien species are ever-increasing, and are compounded by other global environmental stressors, such as climate and land use changes.
“Invasive species are nonnative organisms whose introduction to a particular ecosystem can cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human, animal or plant health,” the executive director said.
Related Posts
She went further: “Such species may arrive in new areas through natural migration, but they are often introduced by the activities of other species. Human activities are considered to be the most common ways invasive plants, animals, microbes, and other organisms are transported to new habitats.”
Alawa pointed out that nipa palms were first introduced as foreign species to curb coastal erosion over a century ago in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria, but is however driving mangrove to extinction as it currently occupies about 25 percent land area of the Niger Delta region.
She added that mangrove could become extinct in the region in the next 50 years if conscious steps are not taken to restore them.
On her part, the Director of Fisheries in the Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Nkem Odoya, lauded the initiative and called on the beneficiaries to key into the program and make good use of the knowledge gained.
She noted the importance of mangrove to the Niger Delta and its environment, pointing out that they serve as carbon sink and breeding ground for aquatic life.
Speaking on the project, the Senior Office, Climate Change and Nature Solution of NCF, Mr. Shittu Usman, said the foundation aims to recover at least 25% of degraded lands across the Niger Delta.
He said the project, sponsored by Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT), has planted about 15,000 mangrove on a three hectares of land recovered from the Nipa Palm in Unyagala and Ataba communities of Andoni.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Uwajiochit Ibani, told journalists that he had no knowledge that nipa palm could be used to produce household items.
“Before now, what I heard that nipa palm can be used for is to break the fruit and eat it, or can be used for wine, while the leaves are used as thaches to build thatch houses; but to use the leaves to produce usable items such as these, I didn’t have such knowledge,” he stated.
