By Faridat Salifu
The Federal and Bayelsa State governments have reaffirmed their commitment to combating oil spills and reduce gas flaring in the Niger Delta, to mitigate the impacted of environmental pollution in the region.
The affirmation was expressed at the International Conference on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta, held in Abuja on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Themed: “Advancing the Recommendations of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC),” the conference highlighted the need for urgent action against the situation.
Representing the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Mr. Busari Kamoru, Director of Upstream at the ministry, emphasized the Federal Government’s focus on environmental responsibility within the oil-rich region.
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State condemned the unchecked activities of international oil companies, citing the extensive destruction of local ecosystems.
He referred to a BSOEC report titled: “An Environmental Genocide,” which found that 40 percent of Bayelsa’s mangroves had been destroyed, and widespread pollution had contaminated the state’s water and soil.
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The report also attributed more than 16,000 neonatal deaths in 2012 alone to toxic pollution from oil spills and gas flaring.
Diri called for global support to implement the report’s recommendations and reverse the damage.
Sen. Seriake Dickson, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, called for collective action against environmental pollution.
In his remarks, the Minister of Environment Malam Balarabe Lawal, underscored the government’s dedication to reducing gas flaring through projects such as the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Lawal, represented by NOSDRA Director-General, Mr. Chukwuemeka Woke, said, “We must shift from environmental destruction to restoration.”
Nnimmo Bassey, Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), highlighted the urgency of addressing the socio-ecological impact of extractive industries on Nigeria’s landscape.
The conference formed a critical moment in Nigeria’s push toward environmental justice and sustainable practices in the Niger Delta. ENDS
