The SEKI Kulture Festival for Wetlands, launched to mark UN International Wetlands Day, is championed by Yibo Koko to catalyze a $6 billion culture and tourism economy in the Niger Delta. This initiative moves beyond technical conservation by placing people and culture at the heart of protecting the region’s vital ecosystems.
“Wetlands are not just ecological systems—they are cultural systems,” stated Koko, CEO of the initiative. He emphasized that empowering the region’s 4.5 million women and nine million youth makes them the environment’s strongest defenders. The program transforms conservation into livelihood and job creation through heritage, creativity, and enterprise.Focusing on Africa’s largest mangroves, the initiative activates over 45 ethnic communities, 450 festivals, and 100 heritage zones. Women, central as custodians of fishing, crafts, and markets, are supported through cultural enterprise and climate-smart incomes. Youth are engaged via digital media, fashion, and green tourism.
By directly linking wetland conservation with Sustainable Development Goals for gender equality, decent work, and climate action, SEKI Kulture positions community empowerment as a core strategy for sustainable development, uniting culture, conservation, and inclusive growth in the Niger Delta.
