Renowned environmentalist and Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr Nnimmo Bassey, has raised concerns over the scale of oil pollution in Bayelsa State, describing the situation as worse than the environmental devastation recorded in Ogoni, Rivers State.
Bassey made the assertion during a one-day capacity-sharing programme with residents of Nembe at the Nembe City Hall, King Koko Square, in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
He described Bayelsa as Nigeria’s most polluted state in terms of the impact of hydrocarbon extraction, warning that the scale of environmental degradation could rank the state among the most polluted places in the world.
According to him, findings contained in the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission report published in May 2023 indicated that oil pollution in the state amounted to a per-capita exposure equivalent to about 1.5 barrels of crude oil.
Bassey also drew comparisons with the findings of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on oil pollution in Ogoniland, alleging that remediation efforts in the Niger Delta had not adequately addressed the damage caused by oil exploration and production.
He said the UNEP assessment of Ogoniland, commissioned by the Federal Government in 2006 and conducted between 2009 and 2011, remains one of the most extensive studies of the environmental consequences of oil pollution in the region.
The assessment covered four local government areas in Ogoniland — Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme — and involved scientific field investigations, laboratory analysis and consultations with affected communities.
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Bassey criticised what he described as inadequate responses by oil companies to environmental pollution, alleging that some remediation efforts had failed to properly restore contaminated sites.
He called on oil companies to end what he described as the systematic destruction of the Niger Delta environment, arguing that the region had been treated as a “sacrificial zone” since the beginning of large-scale oil production in the 1950s.
The environmentalist, who is a recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) for his environmental advocacy, also highlighted the wider consequences of oil and gas activities, including deforestation, erosion and the degradation of coastal communities.
He said the description of the situation as “environmental genocide” might be strong, but argued that the scale of environmental damage in the Niger Delta required urgent attention rather than being treated lightly.
Speaking on the impact of oil pollution in Nembe, the Head of Administration of Nembe Local Government Area, Mr Godson Jim-Dorgu, said the community had suffered years of environmental damage associated with oil exploration and spills.
Jim-Dorgu said pollution had affected fishing and agricultural activities, worsening economic hardship among residents and placing additional pressure on livelihoods.
He appealed to the Federal Government and oil companies operating in the area to commence comprehensive remediation of affected communities.
He particularly referenced the Santa Barbara oil spill, saying the incident, which he stated lasted for about six weeks in May 2023, had yet to receive adequate clean-up attention and had continued to affect aquatic life.
Also speaking, the Director of Primary Health Care in Nembe Local Government Area, Chief Jude Pulemote, linked oil exploration and environmental degradation to health and livelihood challenges confronting residents.
Pulemote said the disruption of traditional sources of livelihood had made life increasingly difficult for rural residents, including pregnant women who, he claimed, were experiencing health challenges associated with poor living conditions and reduced household incomes.
He urged the Federal and Bayelsa State governments to take decisive steps to address the environmental and social consequences of oil exploration in Nembe.
Pulemote stressed that affected communities deserved proper remediation, improved healthcare and greater benefits from the natural resources extracted from their environment.
