Nigeria Women's Climate Assembly Forges South-South Solidarity: Uniting Women for Climate Justice – from Africa to the Amazon!
- Kebetkache
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
“Niger Delta Women bear the brunt of the climate crisis, suffering lack of access of water, food insecurity, environmental pollution and health challenges – yet, women are rising to defend the environment!” – Glory Alexander, Ibeno LGA.
In the heart of Nigeria’s Niger Delta—a region ravaged by decades of oil spills, gas flaring, and escalating climate chaos—Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre will convene a national-level Women’s Climate Assembly (WCA) from October 27-30. This smaller gathering builds on previous West and Central Africa WCAs, which have been convened in Nigeria (2022-Niger Delta, 2023-Lagos) and Senegal (2024-Saly) so far. The assemblies have been vibrant and empowering spaces that have brought hundreds of women from over 17 African countries together in the fight for climate justice. This year, Kebetkache will gather fierce women leaders from the Amazon region in Brazil, and local Niger Delta Women voices to forge global south-south solidarity, share stories of resistance and resilience and craft actionable demands for a just transition beyond extractivism.
As Nigeria grapples with severe climate impacts—floods submerging communities in the south, droughts and desertification eroding livelihoods in the north, and heatwaves exacerbating public health crises, the Niger Delta stands as a frontline battleground. Oil extraction has polluted waters, destroyed mangroves by over 67%, and contributed to air pollution that shortens lives and stifles agriculture, with women bearing the heaviest burdens: food insecurity, health challenges, and displacement. Recent reports highlight how climate change is carving up to 5% off Nigeria’s GDP, while communities in Bayelsa and Delta states demand functional waste management and equitable access to resources. In oil-rich regions like the Delta, resistance to decarbonization is fierce, yet the urgency is undeniable—big oil’s legacy of pollution has transformed this vital ecosystem into one of the most contaminated places on Earth.
“The Women’s Climate Assembly is not just a meeting; it’s a force against the systems that exploit our lands, poison our waters, and silence our voices,” said Emem Okon, Executive Director of Kebetkache. “Women are at the frontline of this crisis, farming in chaos, defending forests, and sustaining life amid devastation. Drawing from our 2024 declaration, we rise to demand respect for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, an end to dirty energy, and reparations from the Global North. With sisters from the Amazon, we unite to reclaim our futures and build feminist climate strategies that centre justice, sovereignty, and renewal.”
Participants will engage in intimate dialogues, workshops, and strategy sessions to challenge greenwashing at upcoming forums like COP30, reject carbon markets, and advocate for African-led solutions to floods, heat stress, and resource depletion.
Kebetkache invites comrades, media, allies, climate champions and lovers of the environment to join us in advocating for #ClimateJusticeInAfrica.
Sisters from the Amazon to Africa: Stand Together Against the Climate Crisis! Share your story, join the assembly in your locality and demand reparations today. The time for action is NOW!
Media enquiries:
Nsemeke Fabian A. - Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre
Cell: +234 8131969053