350.org Global Power Shift Nigeria held a clean energy summit on the 27th and 28th August in Eket Akwa Ibom state located in the Niger Delta oil region of Nigeria. The summit was organized in response to the governments over-reliance on dirty energy and no initiative being put into alternative clean and sustainable energy sources that do not pollute the environment and cause degradation.
There were various partners that collaborated with 350.org Global Power Shift Nigeria which included Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), Climate Change Network In Nigeria (CCN), African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC), Blueprint media, Global Relief and Empowerment Initiative and Peace Point Action (PPA).
The 39 youth activists that attended from the six geo-political zones of the country were also given training in policy development, media and communications. The summit also focused on empowering participants with tools enabling them to take the initiative to hold oil companies and federal government accountable for acts of pollution, land grab and degradation and also to connect with other local activists for collaborative work. The event also raised awareness about the dangers associated with dirty energy and encouraging the youth to become a unifying force to protect the environment and planet from climate change. Participants also developed actions plan they could implement at zonal levels which consist of awareness creation, mobilization workshops, planting of trees and rallies. .
A visit was also made to the Ibitun community where oil spills destroyed farm lands and water bodies. “Participants had the opportunity to understand first hand the impacts on the environment and hopefully take forward some of the issues”, said Usman Inuwa, 350.org Global Power Shift Nigeria team leader.
For more info on 350.org Global Power Shift Nigeria, do check out their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/GlobalPowerShiftNigeria
Written by Usman Inuwa and Lushendrie Naidu