Precious Anga
Lagos — Environmental advocacy group Oilwatch International has renewed calls for a comprehensive environmental restoration programme across the Niger Delta, urging the Federal Government and industry stakeholders to establish a $1 trillion remediation fund to address decades of ecological damage linked to oil exploration and production activities.
The call was made at the group’s 2026 stakeholders’ dialogue in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, themed, “Reclaiming Ecological Integrity: A Frontline Community Partnership for Ecological Healing.”
Speaking at the event, Oilwatch Coordinator, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the scale of environmental degradation across the Niger Delta requires a coordinated, adequately funded and long-term intervention capable of restoring polluted ecosystems, reviving livelihoods and improving public health outcomes in affected communities.
According to him, years of oil spills, contaminated water sources, degraded farmlands and declining fisheries have continued to impose significant social and economic costs on host communities, despite the region’s contribution to Nigeria’s oil wealth.
He stressed that environmental restoration efforts must move beyond isolated projects and evolve into a broader regional recovery programme that addresses both ecological and socio-economic challenges.
Ebiaridor noted that while ongoing remediation activities in Ogoniland and parts of Bayelsa State represent important steps, similar interventions should be extended to other impacted communities across the Niger Delta to ensure a more inclusive restoration process.
He also urged policymakers to accelerate economic diversification initiatives in the region, warning that dependence on crude oil revenues is becoming increasingly unsustainable amid the global energy transition.
According to him, investments in agriculture, renewable energy, fisheries, environmental services, skills development and other sustainable sectors will be critical to building resilient local economies and creating opportunities for future generations.
Also speaking, Chief Operating Officer of Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development, ECARD, Chief Alagoa Morris, described the Bayelsa environmental assessment report as an important framework for advancing environmental justice and ecological recovery across the state.
Morris, who serves as Technical Adviser on Environment to the Bayelsa State Government, said lessons from the ongoing United Nations-supported cleanup programme in Ogoniland could provide a model for broader remediation efforts across the Niger Delta.
He emphasised the need for stronger enforcement of environmental regulations and greater accountability within the extractive industry, noting that operators must fulfil their obligations under the polluter-pays principle.
According to him, environmental restoration should be treated as a legal responsibility rather than a voluntary corporate initiative.
A lecturer at Niger Delta University, Dr. Charles Oyibo, said environmental degradation remains one of the most significant threats to sustainable development in the region, citing its impact on livelihoods, public health and ecosystem resilience.
He called for stronger regulatory oversight, increased public awareness and improved access to legal mechanisms that enable affected communities to seek redress for environmental damage.
Participants at the dialogue agreed that the environmental challenges confronting the Niger Delta require urgent and sustained intervention, warning that continued delays could further undermine economic productivity, community wellbeing and ecological sustainability.
They stressed that restoring the Niger Delta’s environment is not only critical to the region’s future but also essential to Nigeria’s broader goals of sustainable development, energy security and inclusive economic growth.
