Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the federal government, relevant regulators and Shell Nigeria to urgently address the environmental and livelihood impacts of abandoned oil wells across communities in Ikono and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The call followed a capacity-sharing dialogue under HOMEF’s Fossil Politics project, held in Ikot Enua community, Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State at the weekend.
Key Highlights:
HOMEF urged the government and Shell to address abandoned oil wells in Akwa Ibom.
Communities reported pollution, poor crop yields and loss of livelihoods.
The wells were reportedly drilled and abandoned in the 1950s.
HOMEF called for cleanup, compensation and ecosystem restoration.
It opposed using environmental restoration to justify
Traditional rulers and other stakeholders from impacted communities across the two local governments attended the dialogue and documented decades of environmental degradation, livelihood losses and neglect.
The oil wells were reportedly drilled and capped by Shell in the 1950s after the wells were deemed commercially unviable.
Although there is no ongoing oil extraction in the affected areas, community members say the abandoned oil wells continues to affect their environment, livelihoods and wellbeing.
Residents of eight communities reported declining crop yields, destruction of economic trees, polluted streams, disappearance of fish, snails and other species, damaged property, insecurity and loss of livelihoods.
HOMEF Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, said the situation reflects the wider environmental cost of an extractive system that leaves communities bearing the consequences after value has been extracted from their territories.
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Bassey emphasised that the experiences of communities such as those in Ikono and Ibiono Ibom demonstrate why environmental restoration and community rights must be placed at the centre of decisions concerning petroleum infrastructure.
“No host community in Nigeria has developed from the mere discovery or exploration of oil on its land. From Bille and Ogoniland to Nembe, Ayetoro and Ibeno to Obodo, communities have continued to contend with pollution, livelihood losses, inadequate infrastructure and struggles for justice.
“The response to the legacy of abandoned oil wells cannot be renewed extraction. The priority must be to decommission hazardous infrastructure, clean up pollution, restore ecosystems, compensate affected communities and support sustainable livelihoods beyond extractivism,” he said.
HOMEF maintained that the abandonment of commercially unviable oil wells must not amount to abandoning environmental responsibility, nor to using environmental restoration as a pathway to renewed extraction.
