The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has been an industrial hub of oil and gas extraction, these activities has engendered environmental pollution as oil and gas exploitation and exploration continue in the area for about six decades now. These oil and gas exploitation has left its mark, and over time, a significant environmental pollution in the communities. The people are protesting for a cleaner environment, better health condition, provision of basic amenities and above all alternative livelihood. Sadly, these conditions have never been meets and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) has concluded plans to divest their investment from onshore (land and Shallow water) to offshore (deep sea) selling their facilities to local companies in Nigeria leaving the oil bearing and host communities with the degraded environments.
The oil bearing and host community members are uninformed about the realities of the planned by the IOCs to divest to offshore and are now asking for restoration of their environment. The Nigeria companies who has taken over some of the facilities has also denies responsibility for the existing pollution in the environment. The Niger Delta communities need to be part of any decision on the divestment plan in the region as its affect their land and the issue of the polluted environment should take the lead of any discussion.
At the stakeholders meeting in Upenekang community in Ibeno local government of Akwa Ibom state and Akpede town hall in the Biseni clan in Bayelsa state, community representatives comprising Village heads, Chiefs, Women and Youth groups in attendance.
The information obtained at the stakeholders engagement from the community leaders shows that communities have not enough information on the divestment process, it was clear that oil bearing communities are excluded from the divestment plan and information had not been effectively disseminated in the communities.
The government and IOCs does not have plan to respond to the decades of environmental degradation in the oil bearing communities and as a result, large percentages of the population are still groping in the dark.
These meetings had nevertheless generated interest in understanding more about the divestment programme by the IOCs in the Niger Delta and develop community strategy for stakeholder’s engagement in the region.
