Rivers State Advocates for Environmental Sustainability and Tree Planting
The Rivers State Government has called for a renewed commitment to environmental sustainability and efforts to restore Port Harcourt's historic status as the Garden City. Speaking during the 2026 World Environment Day celebration, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Alwell Okereuku, lamented that Port Harcourt had gradually lost its reputation for cleanliness and greenery due to harmful environmental practices.
Okereuku identified flooding, erosion, indiscriminate waste disposal, oil pollution, and gas flaring as major environmental challenges facing the state, noting that many of them were caused by human activities. “People dump domestic waste into gutters and drainage channels, blocking waterways and causing floods and erosion. What we are experiencing today is largely the result of human activities,” he said.
He urged residents to embrace responsible waste management practices and avoid building on natural waterways and drainage channels. Okereuku also accused oil companies of contributing significantly to environmental degradation through pollution and gas flaring.
Also speaking, environmental advocate and real estate entrepreneur My-ACE China decried the disappearance of green spaces across Port Harcourt and called for deliberate efforts to restore the city’s Garden City identity. “Somewhere along the way, we forgot about the garden in the Garden City. It is time to restore greenery to our communities and create a culture that values nature as much as progress,” he said.
China advocated for mandatory tree planting in housing developments and stricter controls on tree felling, warning that unchecked urbanization and loss of vegetation contribute to environmental imbalance. “There can be no housing without the environment, and there can be no environment without housing. Development must not come at the expense of nature,” he emphasized.
He also called for stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, particularly against oil pollution, black soot, and other forms of industrial contamination. Highlighting his Alesa Highlands Sustainable Smart Green City project, China said the initiative seeks to integrate housing development with nature through extensive landscaping, tree planting, and eco-friendly infrastructure.
According to him, the future of urban development should be measured not only by physical infrastructure but also by the preservation of green spaces and natural ecosystems.
