GLA - Niger delta and Cross River state in Nigeria Nigeria’s political economy is dependent on crude oil extraction and agro commodities like palm oil. These industries severely impact people and the environment in forested landscapes. The environmental impacts of crude oil extraction in the Niger Delta are severe. Nigeria loses nearly 500,000 hectares of land annually to deforestation, largely caused by large scale commercial palm oil plantations, impacting heavily on local ecosystems, biodiversity and the local economy. This ‘natural resource curse’ has impacted on the fabric of social and political life in Nigeria by a.o. the historical grievances against multinational corporations in the oil sector, the centrality of natural resource extraction for political power, the protection of corporate security and the criminalization of ‘dissent’ in the name of national security. Local livelihoods are at risk due to land grabbing by corporations forcing local communities to engage in survival practices that further degrade the environment. The programme builds upon an ongoing partnership between ERA, Milieudefensie, FoE Europe and local and international partners. The GLA partners IUCN-NL and Tropenbos International will be part of this partnership. The programme aims to protect community rights, the conservation of the landscape and to develop an alternative ecological model. This will also provide an opportunity to protect International Public Goods (water, climate change, biodiversity and food security). The programme objectives are as follows: - The Nigerian government is changing and implementing policies towards protecting community rights and holds companies accountable. - Companies and investors abide by the law and no longer apply large-scale plantations and oil extraction projects that cause deforestation, land and forest degradation and negatively affect people’s rights. - Local communities defend their rights and promote sustainable livelihoods. - There is increased public awareness and understanding of problems related to crude and palm oil production at the local, national and international levels;