EMMANUEL NWELEDUM, Port Harcourt
The Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI) has urged the Federal Government to enforce stronger environmental policies, equip regulatory agencies, and end gas flaring, warning that continued oil pollution and weak enforcement are worsening air quality and public health crises across the Niger Delta.
Ikechukwu Ahaka, MAJI’s Lead Project Officer on Environmental Conservation, made the call on Friday during a press conference in Port Harcourt, to commemorate the 2026 World Environment Day, with theme; “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”
Ahaka stated that severe oil exploration, industrial activities and human-induced pollution continue to degrade the environment and threaten community health in the region.
He said the Federal Government must move beyond rhetoric and strengthen environmental regulatory agencies with inclusive policies, adequate manpower and the technology needed to enforce existing laws.
“We urge the Federal Government to strengthen environmental regulatory agencies with inclusive policies, manpower and the technology needed to enforce environmental regulations and policies,” he said.
MAJI, through Ahaka specifically called for an immediate halt to all forms of gas flaring, stressing that the practice has already been declared a crime in Nigeria yet persists across oil-producing communities, adding that flaring contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution and negative impacts on lives, livelihoods and climate change.
He also urged government, environmental agencies and stakeholders to incorporate technological tools and inclusive approaches in protecting the environment, while demanding intensified efforts to reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances and the indiscriminate emissions of greenhouse gases.
Beyond government action, MAJI called on oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to stop indiscriminate oil pollution and gas flaring. It also demanded multi-stakeholder participation and inclusive sensitization of rural and urban communities impacted by climate change.
To back its advocacy, the Ahaka said, MAJI is implementing the Strengthening Data for Climate Action in Nigeria (SD-CAN) project with support from the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
“The project has deployed low-cost air quality monitors across communities in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers states. The automated sensors collect real-time pollution data, which is analyzed and published on the DATACAB environmental portal.
“This data-driven platform helps community groups, NGOs, journalists, government agencies, and concerned citizens make better climate decisions and hold polluters accountable,” he stated.
MAJI added that it has trained local actors, media professionals, researchers, persons with disability, and civil society organizations on data-oriented tools for environmental monitoring and governance across Nigeria. “Building this capacity is critical for effective protection and evidence-based advocacy.”
The organization also emphasized the role of journalism in mitigating the Niger Delta’s environmental challenges. It noted that its trainings for media practitioners are designed to equip journalists with skills to collect data and report pollution effectively, stressing that ethical reporting and community engagement are critical for action.
“We don’t just celebrate nature; We stand up for it. This year’s theme underscores the need to draw lessons from nature to shape strategies for combating climate change and protecting ecosystems, a message MAJI said is urgent for the oil-rich but polluted Niger Delta,” Ahaka said.
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