Environmentalists Condemn Resumption of Oil Production in Ogoniland, Demand Community Talks

On Tuesday, Nigerian environmentalists strongly opposed the government’s plan to restart oil production in Ogoniland, urging a halt until meaningful discussions with local communities are held. Ogoniland, located in Nigeria’s Rivers State, is a hotbed of pollution in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where a $1 billion cleanup was initiated in 2018 following a 2011 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) study.

Over 20 environmental groups, including Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, and the Ogoni Solidarity Forum, have criticized the plan, claiming it ignores the severe environmental and social damage inflicted by decades of oil extraction.

In a 14-point demand issued on Tuesday, these groups condemned the government for engaging with a select few from the region, stating that this undermines efforts toward environmental justice and the comprehensive cleanup of the devastated environment. “This decision overlooks the longstanding environmental, social, and economic injustices faced by the Ogoni people, derailing sustainable development and environmental justice,” the statement read.

The people of Ogoniland have a rich history of resisting oil extraction on their land. Their struggle gained international prominence in the 1990s when environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were executed under the military regime of Sani Abacha. The community now demands a $1 trillion commitment for cleanup and compensation, the return of a confiscated Saro-Wiwa memorial sculpture, and full implementation of the UNEP report recommendations.

“We stand in solidarity with the Ogoni people in their pursuit of justice and sustainable development,” the groups concluded.

Meanwhile, an ongoing oil spill at a wellhead in Buguma community, also in Rivers State, has entered its fourth week, with no action from authorities or operators to stop the spill. Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) and Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) reported that residents alerted them about the spill, which has resulted in widespread pollution and a raging fire.

Chima Williams, EDEN’s executive director, described the situation as an environmental crisis that has persisted for too long. “For the affected communities, the year has begun with an environmental disaster that threatens their livelihood,” he said in a statement.

The state oil firm NNPC Ltd, which operates the wellhead, attributed the fire to sabotage by oil thieves attempting to steal crude. The company pledged to extinguish the blaze and mitigate the financial impact of these criminal acts. “We are committed to combating the fire and addressing the underlying issues of these attacks,” a spokesperson said.

Decades of oil spills have ravaged Nigeria’s Niger Delta, causing severe environmental degradation, destroying the livelihoods of millions, and impacting the health of local communities.