By Igbotako Nowinta
The situation that the host communities have found themselves in Nigeria, is not only deeply unfortunate and regrettable, but catastrophic and tragic. That is why the global funding agencies working on the climate issues must never shy away from perpetually complementing and sustaining vigorously, the work of climate justice being led by ANEEJ. Africa must develop and take charge of its own narratives about climate injustice, given the fact that the global system is extremely capitalistic. A people united cannot be defeated; all civil society organizations working on environment-related issues must continuously stand together with ANEEJ.
Perhaps, nowhere has the multi-national oil corporations displayed mindless cruelty against the people than in the host communities of Nigeria where oil is being explored daily for large scale commercial purposes.
And nowhere in the world is the tragic negative effects of climate change being fertilized horrendously, like in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
It is unarguable that no civil society organization in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has been devoting unparalleled concern for the plight of the oil producing communities, like the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).
These facts became overwhelming clear recently, when ANEEJ organized a two-day workshop on climate crisis and energy transition from February 16 to 17, 2023 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
The workshop was designed to enhance the knowledge of participants on emerging issues in the global climate change trend and energy transition. Some of the issues covered at the event includes a reflection on the impact of fossil fuel extraction and the operations of oil companies on the people’s livelihood and the environment in the Niger Delta.
Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, key concepts in the climate change debate, highlight of the Paris Agreement and COP27, building movement around climate justice issues, global fossil fuel investors network, their role, and the benchmarking initiative were part of discussion.
About 40 participants that attended the grand-breaking workshop were drawn from civil society organizations, including journalists, representatives from host communities, all from the entire Niger Delta region.
At the end of the workshop, participants made the following observations:
- Oil and gas exploration activities in the Niger Delta region have continued to impact negatively on the people of the region as the people are faced with gas flaring, oil spillage, environmental degradation and pollution or contamination of the land, water and air, loss of livelihood, health challenges and other negative effects.
- The situation in some communities such as Bille kingdom, Ke community, Cowthorne channel community, Sokebolo, Batan, Opuama, Peretorugben, Torundoru, Oporomo and many other communities in Degema, Akuku-toro and Isoritoru LGAs in Rivers State, Ekelemo and Southern Ijaw LGAs in Bayelsa State, Ibeno, Eastern Obolo, Mbo LGA in Akwa Ibom, Warri North, Warri South West and Burutu LGAs in Delta State and many other areas, where the environment and the people’s livelihood have been badly affected.
- Oil theft and bunkering activities are contributing to environmental problems being experienced in the Niger Delta region. Reviewed the role of investors in oil and gas companies especially the announcement by the church of England’s Pension’s board that by July 2023, the church may consider withdrawing investment from companies not Paris aligned.
- The existence of national climate change policy which did not totally reflect the true picture of the situation in the Niger Delta. Acknowledged the role of the people’s AGM platform in engaging oil companies and their investors.
Flowing from the above observations, participants then resolved as follows:
- Work collectively to identify more communities in the Niger Delta that are highly polluted to draw global attention to the plight of such communities.
- Launch a campaign to get HYPREP and other relevant government agencies in collaboration with UNEP to go beyond Ogoni land and commence assessment of all the communities in the region where exploration activities are going on with a view to commencing the clean-up of such communities and pay compensation.
- Urged the government and the private sector including oil companies to increase investment in new technology that will advance a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
- The implementation of Nigeria’s Transition Strategy should also be localized to ensure that States are involved in developing and implementing their own plans.
- Urged the government and the private sector including oil companies to as a temporary measure consider learning and up scaling the Boni power model in the Niger Delta, where gas is used to provide electricity to the people.
- Urged communities and CSOs to reject false solution being offered by the big polluters, the government and oil companies as such solutions will not solve the climate crisis.
- Urged the federal government and the oil companies to hire contractors to secure oil pipelines and hold the contractors responsible when these pipelines are vandalized. The contractors should work closely with the host communities.
- Encouraged communities, oil companies, government to restore the environment after the clean-up process. Resolved to join the Africa Movement Space to amplify the plight of host communities and take advantage of the AGMs and other global events to engage investors of fossil fuel companies and get oil companies to align strategy with Paris Agreement and address environmental challenges in the Niger Delta.
- There should be a concerted effort by the government to address the root causes of oil theft arising from poor opportunities for economic diversification, poverty, loss of livelihoods, unemployment, energy poverty and disproportionate access to petroleum products in the area.
- Oil companies should decommission the abandoned facilities and restore the environment.
Government and other stakeholders should mainstream renewable energy into local governance and scale up capacity building in green job opportunity.
- Re-echoed the resolution of the people’s AGM platform for investors to send delegations to pay a fact-finding mission to the Niger Delta to ascertain first-hand the impact of oil exploration activities.
The following personalities and organisations signed the resolutions: Innocent Edemhanria, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ); AkpoBari Celestine, Ogoni Solidarity Forum-Nigeria; Sheriff Mulade, Center for Peace & Environmental Justice (CEPEJ).
Others were Inyingi Irimagha, Gender and Development Action (GADA); Edem Edem, Green Concern for Development (GREENCODE); Torki Dauseye, Bayelsa NGOs Forum (BANGOF); High Chief Eric Dooh, Traditional Ruler, Goi Community and Ifeoma Ndekwu, Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN).
The ‘outcome’ that was generated from the workshop above makes it abundantly clear that the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has not made a drastic, and concerted efforts to alleviate the terrible plight of the host communities in the Niger Delta, even as the current administration is still neck deep in looking for oil in the Northern axis of Nigeria.
The Petroleum Industry Act, which has recently become operational in Nigeria is not even helping matters as the powerful political cartels visible in the country are desperately involved in opening up new communities in the Northern part, in the name of oil exploration.
Bearing in mind the stark reality of energy colonialism, failing global economic system and debilitating global climate financing, the point being made here is that the Federal Government of Nigeria is not ready for energy transition; the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is still being destroyed willfully by multinational oil companies, while the host communities have not benefitted anything tangible from decades of exploration of fossil fuels.
With environmental atrocities like continuous gas flaring and proliferation of terminal diseases, soaking and bleeding the host communities in the Niger Delta to certain instrumental destruction, the leadership of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), ably led by Rev. David Ugolor must be commended for spearheading this welcome struggle for climate justice.
More importantly, the setting up of a movement being coordinated stoically by ANEEJ, to confront these most barbaric and brutal neglect of the host communities in the Niger Delta, is indeed heartwarming.
The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, did not mince words in his welcoming address to the watershed workshop, when he posited this:
“We want to build a movement around climate justice issues and support host communities to amplify their issues to the world. Issues around the payment of loss and damages to host communities by the big polluters are gradually gaining ground around the world. It was a major discussion item for discussion at the just concluded COP27 held in Egypt.
“We expect you, going forward to join our struggle to get Shell and other oil companies to take responsibility for the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta. We are reaching out to their shareholders to get companies to review their strategies to align with Paris Agreement.
“We also want you to know that we can collectively target engagement with shareholders of oil companies to achieve the desired result. Unfortunately, the oil and gas companies are more interested in making profit at our detriment, despite global agreements on emission reduction.
“As we speak, Shell declared a profit of 32.3bn Pounds (39.9$bn) for 2022, the highest profit in their history of about 115 years and paid out $6.3bn to it’s shareholders in the final 3 months of 2022, Exxon Mobil announced a profit of nearly $56bn, Chevron about $36.5bn.
“All these are happening while the people of the Niger Delta are living in misery and poverty. Reports show how quickly the world needs to move away from fossil fuels. These are indications that the 1.5°C target in the Paris climate pact is already extremely hard to reach. Goal 13 of the 2030 Agenda emphasizes the need for urgent global actions to tackle climate change”.
The situation that the host communities have found themselves in Nigeria, is not only deeply unfortunate and regrettable, but catastrophic and tragic.
That is why the global funding agencies working on the climate issues must never shy away from perpetually complementing and sustaining vigorously, the work of climate justice being led by ANEEJ.
Africa must develop and take charge of its own narratives about climate injustice, given the fact that the global system is extremely capitalistic. A people united cannot be defeated; all civil society organizations working on environment-related issues must continuously stand together with ANEEJ.”
Nowinta Igbotako, a media and research consultant with Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre, lives in Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria.
