The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has raised concerns over rising security risks in the Niger Delta as a result of climate change.
The group warned that flooding, coastal erosion, environmental degradation and livelihood losses were deepening human insecurity and increasing pressure on communities in the oil-rich region.
The foundation, which made the call on Friday during its Policy Roundtable on Advancing Climate Resilience, Climate-Sensitive Peacebuilding and Human Security in the Niger Delta, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, called for urgent action from policymakers and stakeholders.
PIND stressed the need to integrate climate resilience into peacebuilding, development planning and environmental governance.
Speaking at the event, PIND’s executive director, Mr. Sam Daibo, who was represented by the Peacebuilding Programme Manager, Dr. David Udofia, said climate change had become more than an environmental challenge.
“Climate change is increasingly a livelihood, peace and human-security challenge in the Niger Delta. When farms are flooded, fishing waters are degraded, mangroves are destroyed and families lose their sources of income, the consequences extend far beyond the environment,” Daibo said.
The executive director noted that climate-related pressures could worsen poverty, increase displacement, deepen community grievances and intensify competition over scarce resources.
“We must therefore integrate climate resilience into peacebuilding and development planning,” he said.
PIND used the occasion to launch its Policy Brief on Climate Change and Human Security in the Niger Delta, which highlighted the impact of flooding, coastal erosion, irregular rainfall and environmental degradation on agriculture, fishing and other livelihood activities.
The policy document noted that climate-related disruptions were reducing productivity, affecting household incomes and increasing competition over natural resources, with possible implications for peace and security.
Participants at the roundtable discussed strategies to strengthen community adaptation, improve environmental governance, protect climate-sensitive livelihoods and prevent climate pressures from worsening existing conflicts.
The event also featured a demonstration of PIND’s newly deployed Climate Data Filter on the Niger Delta Peace Map, a tool designed to integrate climate information into conflict analysis and early-warning systems.
According to PIND, the tool will help policymakers and practitioners identify emerging risks, improve anticipatory action and support evidence-based decision-making.
In his remarks, director of Relief and Rehabilitation at the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA), Chief Amiefamonyo Braid Fredrick Ongiri, stressed that addressing climate security challenges requires collective action.
“No institution can address the climate-security challenge alone. The evidence presented today reinforces the need for stronger coordination, better use of data and greater investment in locally led adaptation. The recommendations from this roundtable provide a practical foundation for collective action,” he said.
Representing affected communities, Mr Ebijimi Olugbenga of Bijimi Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State said climate change was already affecting the daily lives of residents.
“Our livelihoods depend on the land and water, but flooding and environmental degradation are making it increasingly difficult for families to farm, fish and earn an income. Communities must be involved in designing the solutions because we experience these challenges directly and understand what will work locally,” Olugbenga said.
The roundtable built on recommendations from the 2025 Niger Delta Crisis Scenario Planning Workshop on Resilience Strategies, organised by PIND in collaboration with the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience, the Fund for Peace and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH under the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project.
The engagement concluded with recommendations for integrating climate-security considerations into public policy, community peace structures, environmental governance, early-warning systems and development programmes.
