Stakeholders and environmentalists in Nigeria have raised serious concerns about the potential negative impacts of Deep Seabed Mining (DSBM), urging for immediate and robust measures to ensure sustainable exploitation of the seabed.
At a two-day training organized by the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), Dr. Felicia Mogo, former Director of Marine Environment Management at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Founder of the African Marine Environment Sustainability Initiative (AFMESI), emphasized the need for stringent environmental regulations. She stressed that Nigeria must improve its understanding of the marine environment and develop a comprehensive governance and regulatory framework to prevent ecological destruction.
Dr. Mogo outlined the critical services provided by marine environments, including supporting biodiversity, regulating climate, and sustaining economies through various activities like fisheries, tourism, and mineral extraction. She highlighted the urgency of adopting a moratorium on deep seabed mining until robust regulations and scientific evidence are established. She called for Nigeria to align its national policies with international standards and invest in marine geology training, environmental impact assessments, and maritime law.
Dr. Isa Elegbede, an environmentalist and lecturer at Lagos State University, echoed these concerns, noting that unsustainable deep-sea mining could severely damage marine biodiversity and ecosystems. He pointed to rising demand for minerals, technological advancements, and population growth as factors driving increased seabed mining activities.
Adenike Adeiga, Chair of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance in Nigeria and Convener of the conference, underscored the importance of the marine environment for livelihoods, food security, and climate regulation. She stressed the need for precautionary measures to protect the fragile deep-sea ecosystem, highlighting recent discoveries of polymetallic nodules that contribute to oxygen production.
The conference served as a platform to discuss the challenges and potential solutions for managing deep seabed mining sustainably, emphasizing the need for global cooperation and informed decision-making to safeguard the future of marine environments.