By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Cameroon Biodiversity Journalists Association, Buea, has congratulated the leadership of the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria and called for stronger cross-border collaboration on climate action.
In a congratulatory letter dated October 10, 2026, the Founder of Cameroon TV and UN Certified Climate Action Strategist, Mr Robert Abunaw, said the election of the new leadership in Nigeria comes at a critical time when both nations, bound by shared rainforests, rivers and climate risks, must speak with one voice.
Abunaw, who is also a member of the National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC) Climate Risk and Surveillance Group and a grantee of the Pulitzer Congo Basin Rainforest Journalism Fund, said climate journalists and vulnerable rainforest communities in the Cameroon Congo Basin rejoice with their Nigerian colleagues and desire to work across the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
“The climate crisis does not know borders; the floods in Manyu and the floods in Cross River are the same water,” he said, adding that both associations should co-produce stories, share field data and train journalists together.
The Cameroonian journalist also called for the implementation of the Nigeria-Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Abuja in 2024, saying it must not remain on paper.
He said his association, in collaboration with the South West Development Authority (SOWEDA), ONACC and community radio stations in Cameroon’s South West Region, is ready to partner with Nigeria on joint reporting on transboundary protected areas such as Korup and Cross River National Parks, community sensitisation on EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) compliance for cocoa and palm oil farmers, transborder reportage on habitat loss and endangered species trafficking, and a shared Disaster Preparedness and Response reporting plan in line with the African Union-UNDRR Media Saving Lives Initiative.
Abunaw noted that his publication, _300 Climate Concepts for Rainforest Journalists (English & French) is designed as a practical tool to drive the implementation.
He pledged that Cameroonian climate journalists would deploy the tenets of truth, accuracy, public interest and solutions journalism to tackle climate change, stressing that communities should inherit not just climate crisis but climate inheritance through knowledge, adaptation finance, carbon justice and resilience.
He proposed a formal partnership meeting, either virtually or in Calabar/Buea, to draft a joint action plan for 2026-2027.
“Let us be the bridge between climate science, indigenous knowledge and policy. Together, Nigerian and Cameroonian environmental journalists will save lives and forests,” he said.
In her response dated October 12, 2026, EMCAN Chairman, Joycelny Ellakeche Adah, expressed appreciation for Abunaw’s congratulatory message and his commitment to strengthening cooperation between environmental journalists in both countries.
Adah said she shared his belief that environmental challenges required stronger cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing and impactful reporting.
She noted that, as chairman of EMCAN, she looked forward to exploring practical ways to translate the shared vision into meaningful action, particularly in climate reporting, biodiversity conservation, community resilience and capacity building.
The EMCAN chairman also expressed optimism about further engagements that would lead to a productive partnership benefiting journalists and the communities they serve.
The proposed collaboration is expected to provide a platform for environmental journalists from Nigeria and Cameroon to strengthen public awareness, improve cross-border information sharing and contribute to efforts aimed at protecting the Congo Basin rainforest ecosystem.
Abunaw copied the Consul General of Nigeria in Buea on his letter, underscoring the diplomatic and regional significance of the proposed media partnership.
The initiative comes amid growing calls for stronger cooperation among media professionals, policymakers and environmental organisations to address biodiversity loss, climate risks and the vulnerability of communities dependent on forest resources.
If effectively implemented, the partnership could strengthen environmental accountability and promote coordinated reporting on shared ecological challenges across the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
