A coalition of Green Non-Governmental Organisations (CGNGOs) on Saturday launched an initiative to restore the devastated mangroves in the four local government areas of Ogoni in Rivers State.
The group unveiled the Eco-Citizen Ogoni Initiative (ECOI) in Port Harcourt to mark the International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems 2025, announcing a target to plant 560 million mangrove trees in Ogoni by 2035.
The Coordinator of the coalition in Ogoni, Pastor Nature Dumale, said the project would train 560,000 eco-citizens and empower them to lead transformative change.
Dumale, who also serves as the Coordinator of Eco-Citizen Niger Delta (ECN), revealed that 56,000 eco-citizens would be directly employed to drive the initiative.
He added that the project would unlock 500,000 jobs across sectors such as renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, eco-enterprise, aquaculture, clean transport, and ecosystem restoration.
Describing the initiative as a bold social action for a sustainable future, Dumale said it would serve as a flagship eco-mobility marketplace and empowerment programme.
“We will plant and nurture 560 million mangrove trees in Ogoni by 2035, not just as an environmental action, but as a symbol of resilience, a living archive of our restoration journey,” he said.
He explained that through catalytic funding, community platforms, and public-private partnerships, the initiative aims to open the door to $5.6 billion in green-blue impact investment.
“We are unlocking pathways for new green-blue economy jobs that are dignified, future-facing, and climate-smart. These are jobs that anchor young people not in the uncertainty of migration, but in the opportunity of home.”
“This is not a dream. This is a mission in motion. The Eco-Citizen Ogoni Initiative isn’t just about planting trees; it’s about planting seeds of justice, restoring what was broken, not just ecologically but economically and socially.”
He called on traditional leaders, state agencies, youth leaders, investors, and members of the diaspora to join in building an Ogoni that is green, just, and regenerative.
“Let this moment mark the beginning of a new story, where Ogoni’s environmental scars become the soil from which a new generation of prosperity and pride grows.”
“Let this International Mangrove Day 2025 be remembered not just for the speeches, but for the spark it ignited. Let it be said that on this day, Ogoni chose restoration over resignation, hope over helplessness, action over apathy.”
According to him, the initiative goes beyond a policy framework, it is a people-centered strategy that uses environmental restoration as a vehicle for economic empowerment, driven by nature-based solutions, community-led innovation, and a commitment to planetary justice.
He said the project aligns with the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland.
“Together, these programmes are setting a new benchmark for how environmental restoration can power structural transformation and community resilience.”
“At its core, the Eco-Citizen Ogoni Initiative recognizes that the path to environmental healing must also be a pathway to livelihoods, skills, ownership, and pride.”
“This is the new development contract, how we regenerate the land, revive our waters, and reignite local economies, placing youth, women, and frontline communities at the centre.”
“As we commemorate the International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems 2025, we are reminded that mangroves are not just trees, they are natural protectors of our coastlines, carbon champions, nurseries for marine life, and symbols of our ecological resilience.”
“Today, we do more than mark a day on the calendar. We make a declaration: that Ogoni will be at the forefront of the global movement to conserve, restore, and regenerate our mangrove ecosystems, not just for the planet, but for the prosperity and peace of our people.”
