Last updated: October 23, 2019

RCE Port Harcourt

Photo Credit: Chisom Njoku (Aerial view in parts of Greater Port Harcourt)
Rce details
Region:
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
Country:
Nigeria
Overview
Date of RCE acknowledgement:
June, 2015
Description of RCE and Geographic Region:

RCE Port Harcourt covers about 2,500 hectares of Greater Port Harcourt City (GPHC), which comprises eight (Eleme; Emohua; Etche; Ikwerre; Obio/Akpor; Okrika; Oyigbo; Port Harcourt City) local government areas out of the 23 in Rivers State. The GPHC is a long-term project implemented by the Rivers State Government of Nigeria for addressing infrastructural decay occasioned by population increase. Port Harcourt City, the Capital of Rivers State, is located in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria, also referred to as the Niger Delta region and is about 830 km from Abuja (the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria). The City hosts four higher educational institutions namely: University of Port Harcourt; Rivers State University; Rivers State College of Arts and Science; and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. Other facilities situated there are: an international airport, two seaports, a Games Village, two Integrated Cultural Centres, three multipurpose stadia, several indigenous and international oil and gas companies, and the 1,000-bed Justice Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital including the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Generally, the RCE was established to address three key sustainable development challenges namely:

  1. Pollution Control and Environmental Remediation – through a technical and socio-political approach;
  2. Climate Change Resilience and Poverty Reduction – through support for petrochemicals, agro-based, eco-tourism industries, etc, and
  3. Human Capital Development – through formal, non-formal and informal education.


Photo: Geographical scope of Greater Port Harcourt

Goals and Objectives:

(i)   Vision
To be a Regional Centre of Expertise facilitating research for development collaborations and promoting Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship towards increased environmental consciousness, ecosystem integrity, economic viability, and social capital in Greater Port Harcourt City.

(ii)   Goal
Creating safe, healthy and viable urban, peri-urban and rural ecosystems through evidence-based process for improved wellness and climate-smart livelihoods in Greater Port Harcourt City, Rivers State, Nigeria.

(iii)  Long Term Objectives

  • To support bioremediation of polluted soils and restore degraded lands in Greater Port Harcourt City area and Niger Delta region.
  • To advocate inclusion of sustainable development contents in the curricula of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
  • To develop mitigation strategies for climate-induced risks, hazards and natural disasters.
  • To disseminate positive results from projects.

(iv)  Short Term Objectives

  • To engage persons living in Greater Port Harcourt City on biodiversity protection and conservation.
  • To empower stakeholders from impacted communities of Greater Port Harcourt City on existing environmental regulations and control standards for increased sustainable development capacity.
  • To raise agricultural entrepreneurs among small and medium size enterprises in Greater Port Harcourt City for sustainable livelihood and poverty reduction.
  • To support campaigns for reintegrating school drop-outs and minimise it among females.

Target groups/Network:

  1. Educational institutions (primary; secondary; tertiary; non-formal/informal)
  2. Oil and gas industry players;
  3. Community interface NGOs;
  4. Environmental consciousness and rights-based NGOs, and
  5. Farmers groups and agri-based NGOs 
Organisation Hosting RCE Secretariat:

University of Port Harcourt

Key Partners:

Name of organisation: Science Institute, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Role: Science education for sustainable development
Contact name: Professor Onyewuchi Akaranta
Contact email: onyewuchi.akaranta@uniport.edu.ng; o.akaranta@rceportharcourt.org

Name of organisation: Institute of Agricultural Research and Development (IARD), University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Role: Agricultural education for sustainable development
Contact name: Professor Ibisime Etela
Contact email: ibisime.etela@uniport.edu.ng; i.etela@rceportharcourt.org

Name of organisation: Community Inter-Relations and Conciliation Initiative (CIRCI), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Role: Team building/environmental consciousness for sustainable development
Contact name: Sir Anthony W. Lawrence
Contact email: tonylawrence942@gmail.com; tonylawrence1959@yahoo.com

Name of organisation: Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Role: Environmental consciousness/project management and administration
Contact name: Dr. Nenibarini Zabbey
Contact email: zabbeyn@yahoo.com; zabbey@cehrd.com

Name of organisation: Foundation for Agric and Social Transformation (FAST), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Role: Agribusiness and entrepreneurial skills education and community participation for innovation and sustainable development
Contact name: Dr. Julius N. Ingweye
Contact email: jiningweye@gmail.com; info@fastng.org

Name of organisation: Trans-Border Missionaries Interface Initiative (TMII), Rumuobiakani, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Role: Community engagement and environmental management for sustainable development
Contact name: Dr. Emmanuel O. Emmanuel
Contact email: tmnigeria@yahoo.com

Activities
Current Activities:
  • Promoting organic goat farming among smallholder farmers in four Greater Port Harcourt local government areas
  • Ecosystems restoration using short cycle plants on bioremediated lands
  • Comparative evaluation of anthropogenic effects of industrialisation, urbanisation and agricultural activities in the urban and peri-urban areas of Port Harcourt
  • Promoting indigenous knowledge for sustainable green science education


Photo: Constructed Choker oven already in use (photo credit: Chinonso Erondu, Youth Coordinator)

Upcoming Activities:
  • Poverty reduction and human capital development
    • Economic empowerment (capacity building/skills transfer)
    • Waste-to-wealth
  • Ecosystem conservation and restoration for sustainable development
    • Bioremediation of degraded environment due to mineral exploration & exploitation (solid & liquid minerals)
    • Greening environment for mitigating climate change
  • Green science education - science on wheels flagship project
    • Capacity building for science teachers (train-the-trainers)
    • Encourage science teaching & learning at primary & secondary schools
Achievements:
  • Sensitised 60 smallholder goat farmers on organic goat farming
  • Presented two conference papers on the benefits of organic goat farming on the environment and livelihoods of farmers
  • Published three papers on the extent of metals concentration in industrial, urban and agricultural settings in parts of Greater Port Harcourt
  • Synthesised three prototype green anti-corrosion chemicals using locally, available materials 
Communication Channels
Instagram:
Facebook page:
Twitter handle:
YouTube page:
Other(s):
Skype: rce.portharcourt
Contact Details
Main RCE Contact:
Professor Onyewuchi Akaranta
onyewuchi.akaranta@uniport.edu.ng
Secondary RCE Contact:
Professor Ibisime Etela
ibisime.etela@uniport.edu.ng
RCE Youth Coordinator(s):
Chinonso Erondu
General RCE email:
RCE mailing address for correspondence:

RCE Port Harcourt
Science Institute Building
UniPark, University of Port Harcourt, Choba
PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria