Niger Delta Women Demand Climate Justice and Community Empowerment at Landmark Conference

- Nsemeke Fabian Asanga

In a five-day gathering held in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, from July 7 to 11, over 300 delegates from across Nigeria and beyond converged for the 3rd Niger Delta Climate Change Conference 2025, demanding urgent climate justice, restoration of devastated ecosystems, and full inclusion of women and frontline communities in climate action and policy. The climate crisis is a reality in the Niger Delta region, where its residents are experiencing flooding, high sea rise, low yield from agricultural produce, and the constant pollution from the multinationals on the environment.

The conference, which was convened by Lekeh Development Foundation and other Civil Society Groups starred the theme “Building a Resilient Future: Integrating Climate Action and Community Empowerment in the Niger Delta,” the conference brought together civil society organisations, traditional rulers, scientists, youth and women leaders, government agencies, and international partners to chart a path toward environmental justice and a just transition.

Women and Climate Change Session: The Pulse of the Conference

At the heart of the conference was a powerful session hosted by Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre—a rallying point that energised stakeholders and gave voice to women from oil-impacted communities. Women shared emotional testimonies of life on the frontlines of climate change, including rising reproductive health issues from hydrocarbon exposure, vanishing farmlands due to sea encroachment, and displacement from ancestral homes by multinationals.

“It’s time our knowledge and leadership inform national climate decisions. We are not just victims; we are builders of resilience. Women are leading agroecology initiatives, championing clean energy, and rebuilding communities from the grassroots up.” - Dr. Emem Okon, Executive Director of Kebetkache.

Emem Okon, Executive Director, Kebetkache, speaking during the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference 2025.

The women’s session called for institutional recognition of women’s rights within environmental policies, urgent funding to scale grassroots climate solutions, and the establishment of a Women’s Climate Justice Council to coordinate advocacy and interventions across the Niger Delta.

Eco-Fair: Farmers Lead with Local Solutions

Through its interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change and to promote environmental sustainability, Kebetkache has been training farmers on Agroecology and organic agriculture practices, promoting food sovereignty in Nigeria. These Farmers also took centre stage during the conference, exhibiting vibrant displays of crops cultivated through agroecology—a nature-based farming method increasingly adopted across the region. The displays showcased food grown without synthetic chemicals, emphasising soil regeneration and climate resilience.

“Agroecology is not just a method; it’s a resistance, we are reclaiming our food systems and restoring our lands.” - Micheal Aggrey, ZADOK.

The conference endorsed a campaign to promote agroecology among vulnerable Niger Delta farmers, with a plan to amplify their voices at COP30 in Brazil.

Several speakers at the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference described the Niger Delta region as “the epicenter of environmental injustice,” citing decades of oil spills, gas flaring, environmental negligence, and ecological destruction amounting to ecocide. Despite contributing little to global carbon emissions, the region bears the brunt of fossil fuel extraction without adequate compensation or accountability.

From rising sea levels displacing coastal families to hydrocarbon pollutants found in residents’ bloodstreams (see report here), the evidence presented was damning. International oil companies (IOCs) were singled out for evading regulatory oversight by moving assets offshore—an escape route from environmental accountability.

The conference issued a set of far-reaching demands and commitments:

1. Environmental Restoration: Immediate cleanup of polluted lands and mangroves before oil divestment; a health audit for oil-impacted communities; and community-led environmental monitoring.

2. Legal and Climate Justice: Reparations from polluters, recognition of environmental harm as a human rights issue, and stronger international legal action against corporations.

3. Women’s and Youth Leadership: Support for women-led climate movements, renewable energy, and agroecology projects; inclusion of climate education in schools; and capacity-building for youth activists and traditional knowledge holders.

4. Energy Transition: A halt to new fossil fuel extraction, investment in community-owned renewable energy, and protection of local environmental defenders.

5. Policy Integration: Creation of a Niger Delta Climate Justice Action Plan aligned with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Pan-African solidarity echoed throughout the conference, with participation from Ghana’s Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, transnational legal experts, and environmental justice networks. Delegates pledged to take the demands of the Niger Delta to the Africa Climate Summit 2025 in Addis Ababa and COP30 in Brazil—where they plan to campaign for the voices of African women and frontline communities.

Download the Communique.

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