Capacity Building for Integrated Coastal Areas Management (ICAM) in Nigeria

D.A. Osanwuta (1), P.C. Nwilo (2)

(1) National Inland Waterways Authority, Lokoja (NG)
(2) Department of Surveying &Geoinformatics, University of Lagos (NG)

The coastal environment is a very fragile environment where several activities take place. These range from fishing dredging, port development, deforestation, farming, oil and gas production and coastal erosion. All these activities impact negatively on the coast. One activity can and do affect the other. For example, destruction of mangrove ecosystem can adversely affect the fishing industry. There is, therefore, a need to understand the linkages between one activity and others. The planning development and management of a coastal area in such a way that one sectoral activity does not adversely affect the others is regarded as an Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM). This entails that there is a need for a legal framework, institutional framework and a policy instrument. To achieve the goals of an integrated coastal areas management in a developing country, there is a need for capacity building through workshops, conferences, and formal training in relevant fields such as surveying, geographic information system (GIS), biology, chemistry, geology, engineering courses, environmental management, basic mapping and coastal management. For these formal programmes to be really relevant in (ICAM), there is need to incorporate certain core courses such as GIS, environmental management, mapping and coastal management in the programmes.

The Master of Science in Surveying and Geoinformatics, Master of Geoinformatics and the Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Geoinformatics programmes at the University of Lagos are deliberately designed to include coastal management and environmental management. This ensures that a product of those programmes can easily participate in ICAM programmes. The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project, which is aimed at sustainable management of the living resources of the Gulf of Guinea region. During the first phase of the Project, workshops and training programmes in ICAM and GIS were organised in the six participating countries as part of the strategy to develop the much needed manpower in integrated coastal areas management. Similar programmes are billed to take place during the second phase, which starts in January 2004.

Community participation is central to the success of ICAM. There is, therefore, a need to organize workshops for community dwellers on their roles in ensuring the success of ICAM in their communities. The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem project organized workshops for coastal communities through non-governmental organizations (NGO) on the roles in ICAM projects. For example, the communities were taught the need to replant mangrove trees. Similarly the Niger Delta Environmental Survey, which is funded by the oil producing companies in Nigeria organized workshops on community participation in the management of the Niger delta. In addition, the World Bank through its office in Nigeria is currently assisting the rural communities in the Niger delta to learn how to manage their environment sustainably.

Communities in Nigeria particularly within the coastal areas of Nigeria have become conscious of the importance of managing their environment sustainably. This will ensure their full participation in ICAM. Programmes in the universities and polytechnics should be structured in such a way that the manpower produced in these institutions provides the much-needed manpower in integrated coastal areas management. In addition, conducting more workshops in Nigeria and other West and Central African countries will assist in capacity building. Finally, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization has muted the idea of formation of an African Association for Integrated Coastal Areas Management. If the idea materializes, it will assist in capacity building.