… Demand allocation of $1trn cleanup fund for region
No fewer than ten coalitions of civil society organisations have urged the federal government to take immediate action to address decades of oil pollution in the Niger Delta and demanded the urgent allocation of a $1 1trn cleanup fund for the region.
They accused multinational oil companies of abandoning their toxic legacy without accountability or clean-up.
The coalition stated this at a joint press conference in Lagos to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa, while showcasing his life and work.
The CSOs that signed the statement are Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Spaces for Change, among seven others.
Prominent environmentalist, Nnimmo Bassey, said the federal government’s silence amid growing international concern signalled complicity in the continued suffering of local communities and the overall people of the region.
Nnimmo said the federal government should exonerate Sarowiwa and other Ogoni activists killed by the military of any wrongdoing, rather than pardon them because they were innocent.
CAPPA’s executive director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said oil companies whose current and historical activities have contributed to environmental infractions and injustice must pay commensurate reparations for the devastation they have caused.
He said: “These payments must reflect the true cost of decades of pollution, loss of livelihoods, destruction of ecosystems, and the generational poverty imposed on communities. No company should be allowed to divest or walk away from liabilities while people still drink poisoned water, breathe poisoned air and farm on toxic soil. True accountability means cleaning up their mess, restoring what was lost, and submitting to legal, financial, and moral responsibility for crimes against people and the environment. We therefore demand that every action taken on divestment be immediately reversed.”
Director, Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative, Celestine Akpobari, said nothing short of a thorough and transparent clean-up of Ogoniland and the entire Niger Delta would be acceptable to the people.
“We demand that every drop of spilt oil must be accounted for, every community must be healed, and every life must be restored. This clean-up must be scientific, transparent, and independently monitored, with local communities fully involved in planning and execution.
“,Polluted water sources must be detoxified, mangroves regenerated, and farmlands returned to productivity. Anything less is an insult to the memory of those who died demanding justice and a continuation of the very injustice Ken Saro-Wiwa fought against.”
They further warned that Nigeria was being used as a testing ground for divestment without remediation, citing repeated oil spills that have poisoned water sources, destroyed farmland, and endangered lives.
“The repeated oil spills in the Niger Delta over decades have severely undermined the right to life, a clean and healthy environment, safe drinking water, health, food, housing, cultural rights, and access to remedy,” the UN experts stated.
“While Shell, Eni, and the governments of the UK, Italy, and the Netherlands have responded, Nigeria has yet to issue any official statement. Civil society leaders described this silence as deeply disappointing and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act with urgency.
“Nigeria has a proud record of signing human rights treaties. But paper commitments must be honoured in practice. Failure to act will bring dishonour to Nigeria and deepen the suffering of its people,” the CSOs said.
The CSOs demanded that the government disclose the terms of all oil company divestments, reveal the level of funding allocated for environmental remediation in comparison with independent estimates of actual costs, and establish enforceable standards for environmental restoration.
They also called for full compensation and meaningful participation of affected communities in clean-up efforts and for an immediate halt to the reopening or licensing of oil wells in the Niger Delta until comprehensive remediation and restitution are completed.
They warned that the government’s continued inaction would worsen environmental degradation, erode public trust, and damage Nigeria’s international reputation, noting that the global community is watching closely.
“The ball is now in the government’s court. It must demonstrate that it stands with its people, not with polluters,” the groups stated.
