The Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide has called on governors in the Niger Delta and other regional stakeholders to actively participate in the oil sector by bidding for oil blocs and marginal fields.
The group’s Secretary-General, Comrade Maobuye Nangi-Obu, made the appeal on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ engagement organised by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) in Port Harcourt.
He expressed concern that oil assets located within the region are often allocated to individuals and companies from outside the Niger Delta, leaving host communities sidelined in decisions about resources extracted from their land.
Nangi-Obu cited the planned allocation of about 25 marginal oil fields, noting that many of these assets are situated within Niger Delta communities but are reportedly being awarded to external interests.
He explained that marginal fields, typically considered less commercially viable by major operators, can still be profitably developed by smaller indigenous firms, making them a critical opportunity for local participation.
The IYC official urged state governments, particularly Rivers State, to establish or support oil companies capable of competing for such assets.
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He also criticised what he described as the exclusion of local stakeholders from oil governance, stressing that key decisions affecting the region are often taken without their involvement.
Nangi-Obu further raised concerns about directional drilling, warning that the technique could enable oil extraction from beneath host communities without their knowledge.
In addition, he condemned the continued practice of gas flaring by both international and local oil operators, pointing to the lack of adequate gas processing infrastructure in host communities as a persistent challenge.
