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| Organized by Social Action (Comprehensive Social Development Center), the workshop focused on strengthening locally led movements. |
– PORTHARCOURT, Nigeria
Community leaders and activists highlighted the chronic funding shortages, harmful practices, and systemic barriers hindering grassroots climate action during a side session of the workshop titled “Resources for the Local Movement for Climate Justice and a Just Energy Transition in the Niger Delta.”
Participants, including Annkio Briggs, Executive Director of Policy Alert-Tijan Bolton, Chief Izuchukwu Remy Agu, and others, shared experiences of limited access to flexible, long-term grants, short project cycles that disrupt sustained community work, and intense competition for scarce resources amid worsening oil pollution and climate impacts.
The session also addressed harmful practices such as threats against environmental defenders, exclusion from key political forums, and external interventions that often sideline local priorities and undermine communities' capacity for action.
As international oil companies accelerate their divestment and Nigeria pursues its energy transition goals, activists and leaders emphasized that real progress requires prioritizing affected communities rather than top-down solutions.
Organized by Social Action (Comprehensive Social Development Center), the workshop focused on strengthening locally led movements. Participants proposed practical strategies, including direct and unrestricted funding for communities, building stronger networks for collective advocacy, and ensuring meaningful inclusion of Niger Delta voices in national and international planning for a just energy transition.