Niger Delta Basin. Marine Maritime Spatial Plan

The Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA) programme centers on one of the world's most ecologically significant deltas, home to Africa's largest mangrove forest and an intricate network of creeks, wetlands, and coastal waters that sustain millions of livelihoods. As the federal water resources development agency for the region, NDBDA is mandated to plan and manage the delta's surface and underground water resources through a comprehensive masterplan, making it a natural anchor institution for extending that mandate into coordinated marine and maritime spatial planning.

The Marine and Maritime Spatial Plan builds on NDBDA's recent institutional momentum, including the establishment of a dedicated Waterways Sanitation Corps and task force focused on clean water, climate action, and ocean-resource conservation across the delta. By introducing structured spatial zoning across fishing grounds, conservation areas, shipping lanes, and community-use waters, the plan aims to reduce conflict between competing uses of the delta's waterways while protecting the mangrove ecosystems and fisheries that coastal communities depend on for food security and income.

Ultimately, the programme reflects a shift from fragmented water-resource management toward an integrated, ecosystem-based approach that links environmental stewardship with community resilience and economic opportunity. By combining scientific data collection on water flow, biodiversity, and coastal change with active community and government participation, the initiative positions the Niger Delta to better withstand climate pressures while sustaining the traditional and emerging blue-economy activities that define life along its waterways.