By Obiabin Onukwugha
Communities in Akwa Ibom State, have raised their voices against oil polluting companies operating in their area, saying it has impacted their livelihoods.
The communities, comprising Eket and Ibeno lamented that life expectancy has dropped to 40-47 years, which is 15 years lower than the national average.
They spoke at a townhall meeting organized by Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), in Akwa Ibom state, with Eket and Ibeno community members, as part of the Africa Week of Action, themed “Kick Polluters Out of Nigeria.”
The meeting highlighted the environmental, health and economic impact of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the state.
The communities accused companies like Total Energies, ExxonMobil, and Seplat that operated in their communities of allegedly perpetuating pollution under the guise of corporate social responsibility. They also criticized the Nigerian government’s response to oil spills, citing corruption and lack of accountability.
Project Manager of CODAF, Endurance Oriakhogba, attributed the low life expectancy in the Niger Delta region to cumulative effects of hydrocarbon pollution, including contaminated water sources, respiratory diseases from gas flaring, and destruction of agricultural livelihoods.
Oriakhogba recalled that in August of 2024, over 27 coastal communities in Ibeno LGA were heavily impacted by a major spill allegedly linked to an international oil company’s offshore facility. “The spill severely polluted local water bodies and disrupted fishing activities,” the CODAF Project Manager said.
Oriakhogba highlighted that France officially banned the granting of new exploration licenses and aims to phase out all active extraction operations by 2040. “Total Energies is a French-owned multinational integrated energy and petroleum company. France is banning domestic extraction, but not French-owned extraction abroad,” she stated.
A youth leader from Eket community, Honour Michael, criticized the Nigerian government’s response to oil spill incidents. He asserted that the government has “turned a deaf ear” to the cries of impacted communities, a situation he stressed, is due to compromise and corruption within regulatory bodies. He noted that compensation payments are rarely made, and when they are, they do not reach the affected individuals, thus leaving communities without legal or institutional recourse.
Another community member, Asan Ekong, noted that Seplat has recently begun removing its insignia (logos and branding) from its projects and staff uniforms within the community, describing the move as “a potential tactic to reduce accountability or to psychologically distance the corporation from the visible environmental damage.”
Mr. Ekong further accused IOCs of fuelling corruption among community leaders and government officials, thereby neutralizing internal resistance.
The community resolved to take such actions as seeking redress against the IOCs in the courts, boycotting IOC services and pressuring banks, petitioning the National Assembly to revoke licenses, submitting a complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur and establishing a Community Pollution Register.
The town hall meeting concluded with a unified commitment from Eket and Ibeno communities to transition from passive victims to active litigants and advocates, with CODAF committed to supporting a non-violent, legal, and economic “Kick Out” campaign against polluters.
