A group called the Coalition for a Cleaned Niger Delta (CCND) recently held a press conference in Abuja, discussing the environmental damage in the Niger Delta. They stated that one billion litres of crude oil have polluted the ecosystem, which they believe is the cost paid by local communities in the region for Nigeria’s oil production. The coalition has called on President Bola Tinubu to make a personal visit to the Niger Delta region to witness the impact of oil spills first hand.
Nnimmo Bassey, the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Otive Igbuzor, the Founding Executive Director of African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), led the team. They highlighted the President’s knowledge of the long-standing pollution issues in the Niger Delta caused by petroleum production activities spanning 70 years. It was noted that the environmental regulatory system in Nigeria has been dysfunctional, conflicted, and compromised since the discovery of commercial oil in the Oloibiri Province before the country gained its independence.
16,263 oil spills in the area within 17 years.
The Niger Delta has been labelled as one of the most contaminated oil and gas regions globally due to ongoing land devastation. Over a span of 17 years from 2006 to 2023, official records from Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) have reported a staggering 16,263 oil spills in the area. According to information from NOSDRA, approximately 823,483 barrels of oil were spilled, which is equal to 4,103 tanker trucks or 130,933,797 litres of crude oil.
Only a small portion of the actual spills are accounted for in these numbers since 5,456 spills without quantity estimates from the companies responsible were not included. Additionally, operators typically downplay their estimates, making them unreliable. Notable spills such as the Aiteo blowout at OML 29 in November-December 2021, which lasted 38 days, are also left out. In addition, it is important to point out that the spill data provided by NOSDRA is limited to the years between 1956, when Oloibiri Well 1 was drilled, and 2006, when NOSDRA was established, spanning a total of 50 years.
One billion litres of crude oil equivalent spilled in the region.
Furthermore, the ongoing flaring of gas volumes for 68 years and the discharge of millions of barrels of untreated toxic effluents, also known as produce water, into rivers, swamps, and mangroves as waste during production, have been left out of the report. Over the span of six decades, the Coalition has documented numerous environmental violations in the Niger Delta, with an estimated one billion liters of crude oil equivalent being released into the ecosystem as a consequence of Nigeria’s oil production. This figure does not account for various omissions and undisclosed incidents.
After multiple failures by the government and its ministers to acknowledge the devastating impact of this crisis on Nigeria’s economy and security, they have called on the president to visit the region in person. The president is being encouraged to tour the areas affected by devastation in Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Rivers, and Bayelsa states, accompanied by relevant Ministers, Regulators, and possibly the National Security Adviser. The locations include Polobubo and Ogulagha in Delta State; Ibeno, Mbo, and Ikot Ada Udo in Akwa Ibom State; Awoye in Ondo State; Bille, Obagi, and Rumuekpe in Rivers State; and Gbarain/Ekpetiama, Nembe, Aghoro, and Otuabagi (home to Nigeria’s first oil wells) in Bayelsa State.
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They noted their belief in the government’s awareness of Nigeria’s obligations to various international agreements related to human rights, environmental protection, indigenous people’s rights, and climate change. They also highlighted Mr. President’s recent commitments on these issues during his speech at the UN Climate Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE. The coalition emphasized that a successful initiative to improve the environment in the Niger Delta would represent a significant achievement for Nigeria, and especially for the president, as global leaders convene at COP 29 in approximately half a year.
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