Follow us on Twitter
Project: Integrated alternative livelihoods for mangrove forest communities
Illegal logging and over-fishing threatens the future of Mangrove Forests in the remote south. Concern Universal helps communities protect and regenerate the natural resources they rely on for food and an income.
45,000
villagers living in 30 mangrove communities
8,000
children across 25 schools in Mangrove Friendly Clubs
The Crisis
Nigeria’s mangrove forests are disappearing. As trees are exploited for timber and fuel, the fragile eco-system they support is slowly disappearing. Fish numbers dwindle, the search for firewood gets longer and the soil starts to erode. Life is becoming increasingly difficult for the remote communities who rely on these resources to provide food and an income. With the majority of NGOs focusing on the tropical rainforest in the central and northern parts of Nigeria, the plight of the population in the south has been neglected.
How we help
This project will help the local community sustain and protect the Mangrove forest. Bringing together the community, law makers and government, it will enforce forest management to stop illegal logging. By educating communities and schools to replenish and care for the forest, it will protect the future of the forest. Concern Universal will help families to diversify their income by providing alternatives to the income from fishing. We will provide tools and training to help communities become more productive and sustainable.
What we aim to achieve by 2016
By working at different levels of society, we seek to protect the environment and income for 45,000 residents across 30 communities in the Mangrove forests of the south. We will ensure a sustainable future for these people by working to introduce law to protect the Mangrove forest. We will educate communities, including children, with over 8,000 children from 25 schools taking part in ‘Mangrove Action Watch’ groups. We will replenish the forest with over 30,000 seedlings and cut the use of firewood in half by introducing fuel efficient stoves. We will help over a 1,000 people increase their productivity and help diversify their income.
Funding partners
We know from decades of experience that by working with others – and pooling our expertise and resources – we can achieve much more than we ever could on our own. That might mean working with small, grassroots organisations that have a better understanding of the local context, or joining with other international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to reach greater numbers of people with our campaign messages.
European Commission | AusAid | Cross River State
Other projects in Nigeria…
Violence against women is a crime
Violence toward women and girls, lack of basic human rights and harmful traditional practices leave women victimised and vulnerable.
