Promoting Climate Justice and Sustainable Environmental Practices in 4 Oil and Gas Producing Communities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria was a one-year project implemented by Peace Point Development Foundation – PPDF with the aim of achieving good environmental practices that enhance Climate Justice and Sustainable Environmental Protection.

Relevant stakeholders at Communities, Local Governments and State levels gave their consent and supported the project with full participation. Community mobilization and Town Hall meetings were held in both Ibeno and Ikot Abasi Local Government Areas respectively to enlighten the larger communities involving a total of 118 participants (61 males and 57 females) about the project. The project objectives and activities were printed and shared to all the project Communities for their inputs and for them to be in line with all the project activities also to enable them track all the outlined activities throughout the project duration.

Advocacies, Community Mobilization/ Town Hall Meetings, Establishment/Training of Community Environmental Clubs, Media/CSOs trainings and Multi-stakeholders Dialogue created working synergy between the regulators, Media/CSOs and the Communities leading to a bridged in existing gab between the parties. This has led to increase responses to oil and gas incidences in the State especially as the regulators shared their communication contacts with both Media, CSOs and the project communities to report any oil and gas related cases directly to them. Two oil related cases reported so far by the communities including seizure of boots containing crude oil by Joint Task Force (JTF) at Uta Ewa and Opukalama Beach which was later destroyed and spilled into the ocean as the perpetrators could not pay heavy amount imposed by the JTF. However, NOSDRA and the State Ministry of Environment intervened on the issue based on information shared by PPDF. This was reported on 16^th and 17^th July 2022 on PPDF’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/peace.point.37  An illegal crude oil bunkery activities was recently discovered and reported by our environmental club in Ibeno Local Government Area as was posted in our Facebook page on November 16^th 2022.

Environmental Clubs both at Community and School levels, Media Engagements (radio discussions/Jingles), productions/distributions of IEC materials (350 T- Shirts, 350 Posters, 120 Ply Cards, 350 stickers, 400 Newsletters), project review meetings, Training/use of fuel wood efficient stoves, Community sensitizations and School Quiz Competitions aid at raising stakeholders’ awareness on Climate justice and sustainable environmental practices by 15%. The project enhances the capacity of the oil and gas communities to engage with the multinationals peacefully and also open spaces for women to have a voice in their communities with commitment to carry the physically challenged persons along in community engagements. The project recorded a total of 1,903 direct beneficiaries, comprising of females: 1, 037 males: 866 with an estimated 30% indirect beneficiaries based on the State population.