11/08/2026
On Thursday August 6, 2026 Access Africa converge all stakeholders- Community Vanguard for Anti-pollution (COVAP), Community members of Aleto, Akpajo and Ogale, the Ministries of Environment, Health and Agriculture, the Civil Society, Media and the National Coordinator of Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Small Grant Programme (SGP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the Skyloft Hotel and Resort, Aleto Eleme, Rivers State for its Lesson Learned Workshop and Sustainable Project Presentation. The event marked the close of a one-year project cycle focused on constructive interventions to mitigate the negative impact of Indorama Chemicals in Aleto, Akpajo, and Ogale communities.
Dr. David Vareba, the Executive Director of Access Africa at the workshop, mentioned that the aim of the event was to draw lessons learned, evaluate the results that emanated from the project activities, bring project teams and stakeholders and beneficiary communities together to systematically evaluate the project, identify what went well and what failed, and convert those collective insights into actionable knowledge to improve future performance. He added that the event will document team insights and real-world experiences vis-Ă -vis the project implementation, in order to formulated practical, forward-looking steps and standards that will enhance community growth and continuous improvement.
In solidarity/ goodwill messages, the representatives of the Ministries that served on the project as Project Management Committee- the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Health testified that the project was meticulously implemented to achieve its goal. They collectively thank the National Coordinator of GEF SGP UNDP, who was present for approving the project for implementation. They also applauded Access Africa for the outstanding outcomes the project recorded in the communities.
In his presentation, the Monitoring and Evaluation consultant Mr. Kingsley Ozegbe outlined the project activities and their outcomes. He noted that it is outstanding that the community farmers can now use pH scale to measure soil pH in their farms and then use natural lime to get the pH level to the pH state that enhances growth of variety of local crops. He also noted that the communities’ perspective is now shifted from violent struggle and demands to a civil approach. He explained that the communities are now aware that their soil, air, water and plants are contaminated. They are also aware of the health impact of chemical pollution from the results published in the baseline study. The communities have however resolved to toe the path of constructive dialogue with the polluters, rather than using force or embarking on violence.
Project success stories were told. It was one of the high points of the event. The community members emotionally told their stories of the positive impact of the project from Aleto to Akpajo and to Ogale. The community leaders, men, women and youths are happy and are pleading with GEF SGP UNDP to fund Access Africa to further replicate similar projects around Eleme communities, strengthen COVAP the more, empower farmers through training and innovation on crop production, embarking on phytoremediation and forming of cooperative and social enterprise that will advance the means of livelihood of farmers, especially women.
High point of the event was the launching of the 463 pager of the book “Baseline Study On The Environmental And Health Impacts Of Urea Production in Eleme Communities, Rivers State, Nigeria”. The primary objective of the study was to assess the extent of environmental contamination and human exposure to hazardous substances in the Aleto, Akpajo and Ogale and to establish a reliable baseline for future monitoring, advocacy, and remediation efforts. To achieve this, the study evaluated surface water, soil, sediment, ambient air, noise level, and locally consumed food crops, particularly cassava. In addition, human biomonitoring was conducted through blood sample analysis and review of health records in the three communities to determine whether environmental contamination is translating into direct human exposure and health risks.
A cross-study sectional study design was adopted, with samples from multiple locations across the three communities. Laboratory analyses were carried out in line with International recognized standards, including those of World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Protection Agency (USEPA), Nigeria’s Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) and the National Environment Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). Ethical safeguards, informed consent and community engagement were integral to the study process.
In her response, the National Coordinator of GEF SGP UNDP, Dr. Ibironke Olubamise thanked Access Africa for their resilience, meticulous project implementation and collaboration with strategic government Rivers State Ministries and the community to realize the impactful results. She said that the testimonies and the baseline report speak for themselves. She promises to be in touch with Access Africa and possibly provide more support in the future.
GEF Small Grants Programme
United Nations Development Programme - UNDP
UNDP in Nigeria
Ronke Olubamise
