An environmental organisation, Peer Foundation, has opposed plans to ascertain a naval base in the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve in Akwa Ibom State, warning that the venture may deepen environmental degradation and heighten tensions with host communities.
The organisation, in a press release signed by its Executive Director, Mfon Gabriel, on Monday, demanded that Akwa Ibom and federal governments reverse the choice and halt industrial actions inside the reserve.
The proposed naval base was introduced by the state authorities as a part of efforts to strengthen safety alongside the shoreline and shield vital oil and fuel infrastructure.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Waterways, Koko Essien, disclosed the plan throughout a ministerial briefing in Uyo, in response to media reports.
Peer Foundation argued that establishing a navy facility in the reserve with out sufficient session with affected communities may undermine their livelihoods, entry to ancestral lands and environmental rights.
The organisation alleged that the proposal was a part of a sample of utilizing safety infrastructure to facilitate industrial actions in the forest, together with petroleum-related tasks.
It additionally referred to as for the withdrawal of what it described as “destructive” refinery plans and the graduation of a community-led forest restoration programme.
Forest below stress
The dispute over the proposed naval base happens amid longstanding issues in regards to the destruction of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, which spans elements of Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Mbo native authorities areas.
In a November 2025 report, PREMIUM TIMES documented how street development and the BUA refinery venture contributed to the lack of forest cowl and raised issues about the way forward for the reserve.
The report, titled “How refinery and highway project wiped out Akwa Ibom’s Stubbs Creek Forest,” additionally examined questions surrounding compliance with the authorized procedures for eradicating protected forest land from reserve standing.
Another PREMIUM TIMES report, printed in 2026, examined the environmental dangers related to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway’s proposed route by means of the reserve.
The report cited a examine that estimated the local weather harm related to emissions from the proposed freeway route at about N785 billion, highlighting the potential value of additional disturbance to the forest.
The reserve is a vital ecological habitat, supporting wildlife and offering assets for communities that rely upon the forest for his or her livelihoods. Most importantly, the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve serves as a buffer between Akwa Ibom land and the Atlantic Ocean.
‘Community engagement should precede announcement’
Peer Foundation stated the federal government didn’t get hold of the free, prior and knowledgeable consent of indigenous communities earlier than asserting the proposed naval base.
It argued that choices affecting the forest shouldn’t be made with out involving residents whose livelihoods, cultural heritage and entry to pure assets could possibly be affected.
The organisation additionally warned that introducing a navy set up with out sufficient group engagement may generate distrust and tensions between residents and safety personnel.
It stated the presence of a naval base close to petroleum infrastructure may additionally increase issues about whether or not safety operations would prioritise the safety of company belongings over the rights and welfare of host communities.
“National security cannot exist at the expense of ecological survival,” the organisation stated.
It described Stubbs Creek as a significant carbon sink and pure barrier in opposition to coastal erosion, warning that clearing extra forest for infrastructure may worsen environmental harm.
The group additionally stated the forest gives medicinal assets and helps native livelihoods, together with actions tied to the realm’s pure assets.
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Dispute over the reserve
The proposed naval base provides one other dimension to the longstanding dispute over the administration, possession and growth of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has beforehand rejected claims that the forest belongs solely to the Ekid folks, arguing that the reserve is run by the state below relevant legal guidelines.
In a report printed in January 2026, PREMIUM TIMES examined leaked authorities memoranda that appeared to help the Ekid folks’s claims to elements of the reserve.
The dispute has additionally centred on whether or not the related authorized procedures for altering the standing of protected parts of the forest had been adopted earlier than growth tasks had been undertaken.
Peer Foundation referred to as on the state and federal governments to prioritise ecological restoration, environmental accountability and group participation over additional industrial growth in the reserve.
The organisation stated it might pursue its opposition by means of authorized and peaceable means.
The Akwa Ibom State Government stated it needs the naval base to enhance safety alongside the shoreline and shield strategic infrastructure. However, additional particulars on the proposed facility’s implementation, its exact location, and the environmental safeguards to be utilized weren’t supplied in the accessible announcement.
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