The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Nigeria has launched a new project aimed at strengthening the resilience of an oil-producing community in Akwa Ibom State against the devastating impacts of oil spills.
The project, funded by CARITAS Canada and titled “Strengthening Community Resilience to Oil Spill Impacts in Akwa Ibom State,” was inaugurated during an inception meeting held on Thursday in Eket, bringing together government officials, community leaders, traditional rulers, civil society groups and development partners.
The initiative will focus on the Okoro Utip community in Ibeno Local Government Area, where residents have complained for years about the environmental and socio-economic consequences of oil pollution.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how oil spills contaminate rivers and destroy livelihoods in Ibeno. The newspaper also reported how communities affected by oil spills have threatened legal action against oil firms over pollution.
According to JRS Nigeria, the project is designed to strengthen the resilience of climate-vulnerable residents by promoting meaningful community participation in addressing the environmental, social and economic effects of oil contamination.
