– Tasks oil operators on environmental responsibility
Mkpoikana Udoma
Yenagoa — Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, says Nigeria should no longer accept oil and gas investments that fail to deliver technology transfer, environmental accountability, and long-term local value creation, insisting that a new investment model is now an economic and national imperative.
Speaking at the ongoing 2025 Practical Nigerian Content, PNC, Forum, Diri said Nigeria must aggressively renegotiate the terms of foreign participation in its energy sector to ensure that future investments reinforce, rather than erode, national capacity.
“There must be a permanent marriage between our indigenous aspirations and foreign capital,” he said. “We welcome investment, but not at the cost of our sovereignty or our future.”
He warned that Nigeria can no longer remain a passive recipient of outdated technologies shipped in from abroad.
“Our markets cannot continue to be repositories for expired technologies and harmful environmental behaviour,” Diri said. “Technology transfer must be genuine, not cosmetic.”
The governor emphasized that all new sovereign investments must come with enforceable commitments on knowledge transfer, market linkages, and local manufacturing integration.
“If capital is coming in, it must come with trading programmes, manufacturing linkages and a plan to localise critical inputs over time,” he said.
Represented by Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, Diri also pressed for more principled, confident negotiations that protect national interests.
“We must negotiate without fear, but we must never fear to negotiate,” he said. “Our agreements must protect our people, our environment, and our long-term competitiveness.”
He urged investors to commit to building Nigerian capacity rather than perpetuating dependency.
“International partners must bring capital, expertise and respect,” the governor said. “Local players must be ambitious, investing in quality, collaboration and long-term competitiveness.”
Diri further challenged indigenous firms to work more closely with universities, polytechnics and research institutes to grow the skills needed for Nigeria’s evolving energy economy.
“Bright ideas must become market-ready solutions through research partnerships, apprenticeships and incubation schemes,” he said.
The governor also called for the formation of consortiums that enable local SMEs to scale and meet global standards.
“Smaller and medium-sized skills must scale by collaborating, sharing risks and meeting the exacting expectations of international partners,” he noted.
On environmental standards, Diri insisted that economic exploration must go hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility.
“Routine gas flaring must end,” he said. “There must be enforceable plans for remediation and restitution wherever damage occurs.”
He concluded with a call for measurable, action-driven outcomes from the industry.
“We need specific action plans, clear timelines, accountable partnerships and measurable milestones,” Diri said. “This forum must produce resolutions, remedies and results, not speeches.”
