Oil exploration set to resume in Ogoniland after 32 years of Impasse
Port Harcourt, Rivers – In a landmark development poised to reshape Nigeria's energy landscape and the fortunes of the Niger Delta, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed immediate high-level negotiations to greenlight oil exploration in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
The directive was issued on Wednesday, following the presentation of the report by the Presidential Committee on the Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Professor Don Baridam, at the State House in Abuja. Governor Siminalayi of Rivers State led the Ogoni delegation to the ceremony.
The directive mandates the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to convene talks between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), representatives from Ogoni communities, and key stakeholders.
Daily South Nigeria understands that the president also used the occasion to confer the posthumous national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four members of Ogoniland who died in the struggle to ensure environmental protection of their land.
They are: Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage. In June, President Tinubu conferred national honours on Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists, brutally killed by the Sani Abacha military regime.
The move signals the end of a 32-year moratorium on drilling in the oil-rich region, suspended since 1993 amid environmental devastation and fierce local protests led by the late activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.
The announcement comes at a critical juncture for Nigeria's economy, which relies on oil for over 90% of its foreign exchange earnings.
Ogoniland, home to about one million Ogoni people and encompassing Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, holds vast untapped reserves estimated at billions of barrels—resources that could boost national output by up to 500,000 barrels per day if fully operational.
NNPC Ltd., under Group Chief Executive Mele Kyari, has long eyed a return, but progress stalled due to unresolved grievances over pollution, inadequate compensation, and lack of community benefits.
Ribadu outlined the formation of an inter-agency task force, comprising NNPC Ltd., relevant ministries, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, to implement a comprehensive roadmap.
The plan prioritizes environmental safeguards, community investments, and revenue-sharing models aligned with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021.
"Peace is already being restored, and Nigerians will soon see the benefits, not just in Ogoniland, but across the Niger Delta and beyond," Ribadu stated.
Oil extraction in Ogoniland began in the 1950s under Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), but decades of spills and gas flaring turned the once-fertile farmlands and fisheries into a toxic wasteland.
A landmark 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report documented "catastrophic" contamination, with benzene levels in drinking water 900 times above World Health Organization limits.
Over $1 billion was pledged for cleanup, with NNPC and joint venture partners disbursing $360 million by 2020, though locals decried the pace as glacial.
Protests peaked in the 1990s, culminating in the execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight others in 1995, drawing global condemnation and forcing Shell's exit.
Sporadic pledges followed: In 2018, Ogoni traditional rulers endorsed indigenous firm RoboMichael Limited for re-entry; by 2021, NPDC (an NNPC subsidiary) signaled readiness, backed by a court ruling awarding operatorship from Shell. Yet, implementation faltered amid distrust.
The Tinubu administration has accelerated efforts since 2023. In January 2025, the president hosted Ogoni leaders, sparking backlash from civil society groups who labeled it a "betrayal" of remediation promises.
By February, Regional Development Minister Abubakar Momoh defended the push, citing Tinubu's "visionary" approach, including the signing of a Federal University of Environment in Ogoniland to tackle ecological challenges. Recent fiscal incentives under the PIA, including a N318 billion ($200 million) Frontier Exploration Fund, have further empowered NNPC to fund seismic surveys and drilling.
Ogoni leaders expressed cautious optimism.
"We've waited too long for this moment, but it must come with ironclad guarantees—no more empty promises," said a spokesperson for the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.
Community demands include full UNEP cleanup completion, 10% host community royalties under the PIA, and priority hiring for locals. NNPC has committed to "environmentally responsible" operations, leveraging technologies like advanced spill detection and carbon capture.
Critics, including environmental NGOs like Mongabay, warn of risks to biodiversity in the UNESCO-recognized site.
"Resuming without full remediation could doom future generations," one analyst noted.
As drilling rigs prepare and seismic teams mobilize, Ogoniland stands on the cusp of transformation—or renewed conflict.
The directive was issued on Wednesday, following the presentation of the report by the Presidential Committee on the Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Professor Don Baridam, at the State House in Abuja. Governor Siminalayi of Rivers State led the Ogoni delegation to the ceremony.
The directive mandates the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to convene talks between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), representatives from Ogoni communities, and key stakeholders.
Daily South Nigeria understands that the president also used the occasion to confer the posthumous national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four members of Ogoniland who died in the struggle to ensure environmental protection of their land.
They are: Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage. In June, President Tinubu conferred national honours on Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists, brutally killed by the Sani Abacha military regime.
The move signals the end of a 32-year moratorium on drilling in the oil-rich region, suspended since 1993 amid environmental devastation and fierce local protests led by the late activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.
The announcement comes at a critical juncture for Nigeria's economy, which relies on oil for over 90% of its foreign exchange earnings.
Ogoniland, home to about one million Ogoni people and encompassing Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, holds vast untapped reserves estimated at billions of barrels—resources that could boost national output by up to 500,000 barrels per day if fully operational.
NNPC Ltd., under Group Chief Executive Mele Kyari, has long eyed a return, but progress stalled due to unresolved grievances over pollution, inadequate compensation, and lack of community benefits.
Ribadu outlined the formation of an inter-agency task force, comprising NNPC Ltd., relevant ministries, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, to implement a comprehensive roadmap.
The plan prioritizes environmental safeguards, community investments, and revenue-sharing models aligned with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021.
"Peace is already being restored, and Nigerians will soon see the benefits, not just in Ogoniland, but across the Niger Delta and beyond," Ribadu stated.
Oil extraction in Ogoniland began in the 1950s under Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), but decades of spills and gas flaring turned the once-fertile farmlands and fisheries into a toxic wasteland.
A landmark 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report documented "catastrophic" contamination, with benzene levels in drinking water 900 times above World Health Organization limits.
Over $1 billion was pledged for cleanup, with NNPC and joint venture partners disbursing $360 million by 2020, though locals decried the pace as glacial.
Protests peaked in the 1990s, culminating in the execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight others in 1995, drawing global condemnation and forcing Shell's exit.
Sporadic pledges followed: In 2018, Ogoni traditional rulers endorsed indigenous firm RoboMichael Limited for re-entry; by 2021, NPDC (an NNPC subsidiary) signaled readiness, backed by a court ruling awarding operatorship from Shell. Yet, implementation faltered amid distrust.
The Tinubu administration has accelerated efforts since 2023. In January 2025, the president hosted Ogoni leaders, sparking backlash from civil society groups who labeled it a "betrayal" of remediation promises.
By February, Regional Development Minister Abubakar Momoh defended the push, citing Tinubu's "visionary" approach, including the signing of a Federal University of Environment in Ogoniland to tackle ecological challenges. Recent fiscal incentives under the PIA, including a N318 billion ($200 million) Frontier Exploration Fund, have further empowered NNPC to fund seismic surveys and drilling.
Ogoni leaders expressed cautious optimism.
"We've waited too long for this moment, but it must come with ironclad guarantees—no more empty promises," said a spokesperson for the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.
Community demands include full UNEP cleanup completion, 10% host community royalties under the PIA, and priority hiring for locals. NNPC has committed to "environmentally responsible" operations, leveraging technologies like advanced spill detection and carbon capture.
Critics, including environmental NGOs like Mongabay, warn of risks to biodiversity in the UNESCO-recognized site.
"Resuming without full remediation could doom future generations," one analyst noted.
As drilling rigs prepare and seismic teams mobilize, Ogoniland stands on the cusp of transformation—or renewed conflict.
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