Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) urges Nigeria to abandon fossil fuels and urgently restore oil-polluted communities, warning that gradual responses to worsening environmental crises are no longer sufficient.
In a statement marking World Earth Day on Wednesday, HOMEF’s Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, says the 2026 theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” demands decisive action from both citizens and governments.
“We risk burning our father’s house only to inherit ashes,” Bassey warns.
He argues that escalating climate threats—including erratic weather and biodiversity loss—require systemic transformation rather than incremental change.
Bassey links Nigeria’s environmental challenges to decades of resource exploitation, calling for a shift from extractive practices to sustainable stewardship.
“We must shift from colonial extraction to stewardship,” he says.
He highlights persistent oil spills as a major environmental and public health threat, urging authorities to decommission hazardous sites and rehabilitate affected communities.
Beyond policy reforms, HOMEF calls on Nigerians to adopt eco-friendly practices such as tree planting, reducing plastic use and embracing zero-waste lifestyles.
The organisation stresses that meaningful climate action must go beyond symbolic gestures, warning that failure to act decisively risks long-term ecological collapse.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 