Wetland Day: WHATSSUP Rivers Initiative to Mobilise 23,000 Culture Diplomacy Envoys

As the world marks UN International World Wetlands Day 2026, Culture Money Africa has partnered with the Rivers State Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA) to launch the WHATSSUP Rivers Initiative, a Wetland Heritage and Arts for Tourism, Sustainability, Security, Unity and Prosperity.

The initiative themed “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage,” positions wetlands, culture, and creative industries as strategic drivers of tourism growth, social cohesion, and sustainable development, while advancing Rivers State’s emergence as a blue economy powerhouse.

Speaking on the project, Victor Wilkinson Agih, CEO of Culture Money Africa, said: “Rivers State’s rivers, creeks, mangroves, and coastal ecosystems are not only ecological assets but living cultural heritage zones shaped by traditional knowledge, languages, occupations, festivals, and artistic expression passed down through generations.

The WHATSSUP Rivers Initiative translates this heritage into opportunity by mobilising 23,000 Blue Economy Culture Diplomacy Envoys across 23 local government areas, 23 indigenous languages, and 23 creative and cultural industries.”

The initiative targets a $2.3 billion Rivers State Culture and Heritage Tourism Money Marketplace, attracting investment-ready partners to stimulate inclusive economic growth.

The 23,000 envoys will serve as cultural ambassadors, creative producers, and tourism champions, connecting wetlands conservation to livelihoods, identity, and community development.

Mr. Yibo Koko, Director-General of RSTDA, emphasized the empowerment impact:
“Wetlands are the cultural and economic foundation of Rivers State. Through the WHATSSUP Rivers Mobile Initiative, we are connecting over 2.3 million heritage citizens and mobilising 23,000 envoys to turn our wetlands into heritage investment platforms for tourism, unity, youth employment, and sustainable prosperity.

“This is about using our heritage, arts, and creative industries to protect our environment while growing a resilient blue economy that belongs to our people.”

WHATSSUP Rivers integrates culture, tourism, and the blue economy through a mobile platform that allows communities, visitors, and investors to explore and engage with Rivers State’s cultural and ecological assets.

By aligning with UN World Wetlands Day and leveraging traditional knowledge as development infrastructure, the initiative recognizes wetlands as active cultural systems where environmental health, social cohesion, and economic opportunity intersect.

Through the initiative, Rivers State demonstrates how local heritage can deliver global environmental and development goals, contributing to climate action, wetland protection, sustainable tourism, cultural preservation, youth and women empowerment, and inclusive growth.

The Rivers State Tourism Development Agency is the lead government agency responsible for developing, promoting, and regulating tourism in Rivers State, leveraging culture, heritage, and natural assets to drive sustainable economic growth and global destination positioning.