Eco-Volunteers Portal launches with bold target to mobilise 560,000 youth for mangrove planting in Ogoni, driving green recovery

Eco-Volunteers Portal has officially launched in Ogoniland, igniting a wave of optimism across Nigeria’s environmental sector with its ambitious mission to mobilise 560,000 youth to plant 560 million mangrove trees by the year 2035.

Also read: Ogun State Tree Planting Drive Targets One Million Trees to Fight Climate Change

The initiative, spearheaded by the Eco-Citizen Ogoni Initiative (ECOI), was unveiled in Port Harcourt on International Youth Day 2025.

It positions Ogoni youths not only as climate responders but as green economy pioneers.

Speaking at the launch, ECOI Coordinator Nature Dumale described the Eco-Volunteers Portal as “a digital revolution” in youth-led climate action.

The platform aims to train, equip, and deploy young people across 56 wards in Ogoniland as Global Green Goal Marshalls, blending environmental restoration with digital innovation and economic empowerment.

“This portal is our response to history and our bridge to the future. It affirms the role of Ogoni youth not just as volunteers but as visionaries,” Dumale said.

Beyond tree planting, the initiative is expected to create over 500,000 green-blue economy jobs in sectors like clean energy, sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, and eco-enterprise.

The Eco-Volunteers Portal also integrates real-time dashboards, learning labs, mission tracking, and a circular economy marketplace—turning restoration efforts into measurable, impactful actions aligned with SDGs 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15.

Senator Ireti Kingibe, Deputy Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, praised the project as a turning point.

“We must move from remediation to regeneration—and that starts with empowering young people at the frontline,” she said.

Also lending support, Victor Wilkinson Agih, Global Director of the ECO2RUPPERS Africa Initiative, noted the portal’s broader impact:

“This is more than a portal. It’s a platform for intergenerational equity and distributed leadership,” he added.

Also read: Taraba Green House Harvest Sparks Agricultural Revolution

As Nigeria faces increasing climate vulnerability, the Eco-Volunteers Portal stands out as a powerful blueprint for localised, youth-driven action that blends technology, ecology, and community leadership.