By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Niger Delta Development Commission has called for environmental education to be adopted as a fourth pillar of ecological governance to address Nigeria’s growing environmental challenges.
Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the NDDC, Dr Patterson Ogon, made the call while delivering the lead paper at the Environmental Education Summit organised by the Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, University of Port Harcourt.
Speaking on the theme, Environmental Education as a Strategic Response to Nigeria’s Environmental Polycrisis, Ogon said environmental laws and enforcement alone cannot reverse the country’s ecological decline without sustained investment in environmental literacy.
He identified environmental illiteracy among citizens and policymakers as a major obstacle to sustainable natural resource management, stressing the need to integrate environmental awareness into governance, education and community life.
Ogon said Nigeria’s environmental challenges extend beyond oil pollution to include desertification, gully erosion, coastal flooding and environmental degradation caused by illegal mining.
He warned that with Nigeria’s population projected to reach between 400 million and 440 million by 2050, environmental sustainability must become a national development and security priority.
To address the challenge, Ogon unveiled the proposed Port Harcourt Framework for Environmental Education and Ecological Governance, which recommends a National Environmental Education Policy and Strategic Plan (2026–2035), stronger coordination among environmental institutions, community-based learning and expanded university research on mangrove restoration, flood management and the Niger Delta’s blue economy.
He urged governments at all levels to integrate environmental education into formal education, adult learning and leadership development programmes.
According to him, investing in environmental education will strengthen institutions, build resilient communities and promote a more sustainable future.
