Centre trains Rivers women on community-based environmental remediation

As part of efforts to complement government initiatives in mitigating the impact of hydrocarbon pollution, the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre has organised a two-day training on community-based environmental remediation for women and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking after a guided visit to a hydrocarbon remediation site in Baraliagbo community, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, Executive Director of the centre, Dr. Emen Okon, said the programme was designed to build the capacity of community women to participate actively in environmental management and ecosystem restoration.

“We have campaigned against pollution, we have campaigned for ecosystem restoration, and we know women have critical roles to play in protecting the environment and promoting sustainability,” Dr. Okon stated.

She explained that the training, which was supervised by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), focused on giving women practical knowledge on remediation processes and empowering them to contribute to environmental recovery efforts in their communities.

“This is a step forward in the right direction. It may not be enough, but it is an important start,” she added.

One of the participants, Mr. Henry Efrebo, an indigene of Obelle in Emohua Local Government Area, commended the organisers, describing the training as timely and impactful.

He stressed the need for more Niger Delta communities to learn the cleanup process so that women can take an active role in restoring their environment.

“If pollution is minimal, communities can remediate their environment by tilling the soil and applying similar techniques. If we fail to restore our environment, nobody will do it for us,” he said.

Another participant, Mrs. Gloria Thomas from Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, said every farmer is a potential environmental remediator.

“As women farmers, we can initiate hydrocarbon pollution remediation when contamination is not extensive and does not affect groundwater. We should not wait for government agencies to come to our aid when we can take action ourselves,” she urged.

Over 50 trainees participated in the programme and were taken on a field visit to observe ongoing remediation exercises. At the site, excavations were carried out deeper than the contamination level, soil nutrients such as NPK fertiliser were applied, and the soil was aerated to facilitate recovery.

The training is part of the Kebetkache Centre’s broader advocacy for environmental justice and grassroots involvement in sustaining clean and healthy ecosystems across the Niger Delta.