Odigha Odigha

Last updated
Odigha Odigha
Born
Odigha

Cross River state
Nationality Nigerian
Education University of Lagos, University of Calabar.
Occupation(s) Educator, environmentalist and activist.
Known forGrassroots environmental activism
Awards Goldman Environmental Prize (2003)

Odigha Odigha is a Nigerian educator, environmentalist and activist. [1] [2] He is the founder of Nigeria NGO Coalition for the Environment. [3] He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2003, for his efforts on protection of the rainforests of Cross River State from industrial logging. [4] [5] According to Grist News, he said, "If you fight and run away, you'll live to fight another day. If you die in this struggle, your struggle may not continue." Odigha's focus was on the protection of the Cross River rainforest and on sustainable development for rainforest communities which began since 1994. [3]

Contents

As an activist, Odigha pursued a political experience that served him well. He was also part of the Ijagham community of Cross River State. [3] Together with the governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, Odigha managed to set up the first ever forestry commission in Nigeria and obtain a first logging moratorium in 2000. [6]

Early life

Odigha attended St. Peter's Primary School, Ekpokpa, Ikom Local Government Area, between 1968 and 1970 and later St. Mary's Primary School, Agbaragba, in the same Local Government Area in 1971. After his primary education, he proceeded to St. Brendan's Secondary School, Iyamoyong, in Obubra Local Government Area, Cross River State, from 1972 to 1976.

Education

He also proceeded to University of Calabar, Cross River State, between 1976 and 1980, where he obtained a B.Sc. degree in mathematics/statistics in 1980.

He enrolled for an MBA degree at the University of Lagos in 1983. [1]

Odigha is a graduate of the University of Calabar with a bachelor's degree in mathematics/statistics. He also enrolled for an MBA degree at the University of Lagos. [2] [1]

Political Life

He started his political life as the;

Award and recognition

2003: Goldman Environmental Prize [10]

Arrest

In 2016 Odigha was reportedly arrested on the orders of Ben Ayade, the executive governor of Cross River State. Odigha was held at the police headquarters in Diamond Hill, Calabar, following an audit of the Cross River State Forestry Commission (CRSFC), where he had been chairman. Odigha's lawyer disclosed that Odigha was accused of embezzling over ₦100 million, and was said to be unable to account for money paid to him and officials for travel expenses. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldman Environmental Prize</span> Award

The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The award is given by the Goldman Environmental Foundation headquartered in San Francisco, California. It is also called the Green Nobel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross River State</span> State of Nigeria

Cross River State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named for the Cross River, the state was formed from the eastern part of the Eastern Region on 27 May 1967. Its capital is Calabar, it borders to the north through Benue state, to the west through Ebonyi state and Abia state, and to the southwest through Akwa Ibom state, while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon. Originally known as the South-Eastern State before being renamed in 1976, Cross River state formerly included the area that is now Akwa Ibom state, which became a distinct state in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calabar</span> Capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria

Calabar is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and creeks of the Cross River.

Boki is a Local Government Area in the Cross River State of Nigeria. It was created on 28 August 1991, and its capital is Boje. The region has a contiguous border with the Republic of Cameroon and is known internationally as a commercial centre for agricultural commodities such as cocoa, coffee, timber, and palm products.

Isidro Baldenegro López was a farmer and community leader of Mexico's indigenous Tarahumara people in Sierra Madre and an environmental activist who fought against unregulated logging in his region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in Nigeria</span> Lack of forestation in Nigeria

Logging, agriculture, and the collection of wood for fuel are cited as the leading causes of deforestation in the West African country of Nigeria.

Victor Ndoma-Egba is a Nigerian politician and former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). He was a three-term Senator, representing Cross River Central Senatorial District of Cross River State in the Nigerian Senate from 2003 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ikom</span> LGA and town in Cross River State, Nigeria

Ikom is a Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Ikom in the east of the area on the Cross River and the A4 highway at 5°57′40″N8°42′39″E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross River National Park</span>

The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo and Oban . The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, most of which consists of primary moist tropical rainforests in the North and Central parts, with mangrove swamps on the coastal zones. Parts of the park belong to the Guinea-Congolian region, with a closed canopy and scattered emergent trees reaching 40 or 50 meters in height.

José Andrés Tamayo Cortez is a Honduran Catholic priest and environmentalist, a leader of the Environmental Movement of Olancho and "the public face of the country's environmental movement". 2005 he was awarded with the Goldman Environmental Prize. After he was expelled from Honduras in 2009 he lived in exile in Nicaragua.

Silas Kpanan'Ayoung Siakor is a Liberian environmentalist. He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2006, for his revealing of illegal logging in Liberia and its connection to the civil war, leading to export sanctions from the United Nations Security Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross River (Nigeria)</span> River in southeastern Nigeria

Cross River is the main river in southeastern Nigeria and gives its name to Cross River State. It originates in Cameroon, where it takes the name of the Manyu River. Although not long by African standards its catchment has high rainfall and it becomes very wide. Over its last 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the sea it flows through swampy rainforest with numerous creeks and forms an inland delta near its confluence with the Calabar River, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) wide and 50 kilometres (31 mi) long between the cities of Oron on the west bank and Calabar, on the east bank, more than 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the open sea. The delta empties into a broad estuary which it shares with a few smaller rivers. At its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean, the estuary is 24 kilometres (15 mi) wide. The eastern side of the estuary is in the neighbouring country of Cameroon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calabar River</span> Place in Cross River State, Nigeria

The Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria flows from the north past the city of Calabar, joining the larger Cross River about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a draft of 6 metres (20 ft).

Samuel Eson Johnson Ecoma was a Nigerian jurist and the Chief Judge of Cross River State appointed in March 1990. He was called to the English Bar in June, 1961 and to the Nigerian Bar in August 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agbokim Waterfalls</span> Waterfall in Nigeria

Agbokim waterfalls are situated in the Etung local government area of Cross River State in the South-South region of Nigeria, very close to its border with Cameroon. The waterfalls are about 25 km (16 mi) from Ikom and 240 km (150 mi) from Calabar.

Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell is a Liberian environmental activist and lawyer. Brownell met international attention because of his advocacy to prevent the destruction of tropical forests for palm oil production. After receiving death threats as a result of his work, he and his family fled Liberia in 2016. He won the Goldman Environmental Prize, also called the "Green Nobel," in 2019 for his work protecting more than 500,000 acres (2,000 km2) of the tropical forest that were traditional lands of local communities.

Sandy Ojang Onor is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was elected in 2019 to represent Cross River Central Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly of the Senate. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian lowland forests</span>

The Nigerian lowland forests, also known as the Nigerian rainforest,is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southwestern Nigeria and southeastern Benin. The ecoregion is densely populated, and home to several large cities including Lagos, Ibadan, and Benin City. They are considered one of the most biodiverse habitats in the country and are home to a wide range of plant and animal species. There is still significant tree cover, but the remaining enclaves of forest are increasingly fragmented. The ecoregion is wetter along the coast and drier inland, resulting in bands of vegetation zones that run parallel to the coast for the 400 km length of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bassey Eyo Ephraim Adam III</span> Edidem Efik Eburutu

Bassey Adam III was the Obong of Calabar and the Edidem of the Efik kingdom from 27 November 1982 until his death on 14 December 1986. Bassey was born in Calabar, during the reign of his Uncle Obong Adam Ephraim Adam as the Obong of Old Calabar and its dependencies. His father was Etubom Eyo Ephraim Adam, the second son of Ephraim Adam of Etim Efiom royal house of Old Calabar. His mother was Princess Eyoanwan Eyo Edem of Duke royal house of Old Calabar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Cross River State gubernatorial election</span> 2023 gubernatorial election in Cross River State, Nigeria

The 2023 Cross River State gubernatorial election will take place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Cross River State, concurrent with elections to the Cross River State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—will be held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent APC Governor Benedict Ayade is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nigerian activist Odigha Odigha fights to halt illegal logging". Grist. 2003-04-15. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  2. 1 2 "BBC World Service - Outlook, 13/10/2011". BBC. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  3. 1 2 3 "Odigha Odhiga - SourceWatch". www.sourcewatch.org. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  4. ↑ "Africa 2003. Odigha Odigha. Nigeria, Forests". Goldman Environmental Prize . Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  5. ↑ "BBC: Interview with Nigerian forest activist, Odigha Odigha". Rights + Resources. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  6. ↑ "Odigha Odigha: Speaking Truth to Power". Ecosystem Marketplace. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  7. ↑ Negroidhaven. "Meet Odigha Odigha, Campaigner to protect Nigeria's Last Tropical High Forest | Negroid Haven" . Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  8. ↑ Negroidhaven. "Meet Odigha Odigha, Campaigner to protect Nigeria's Last Tropical High Forest | Negroid Haven" . Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  9. ↑ Negroidhaven. "Meet Odigha Odigha, Campaigner to protect Nigeria's Last Tropical High Forest | Negroid Haven" . Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  10. ↑ "ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Goldman Environmental Prize - 2003-05-08". VOA. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  11. ↑ admin (2016-07-21). "Forest crusader, Odigha Odigha, arrested, detained". EnviroNews Nigeria. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.