A group of stakeholders in the Niger Delta have demanded greater accountability from both the Federal Government (FG) and oil companies over worsening environmental pollution and persistent oil theft in the region.
The stakeholders warned that communities continue to bear the consequences of decades of neglect and ecological devastation.
The calls according to The Nation’s report, were made on Monday in Port Harcourt during the 2026 Correspondents’ Week of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), themed, The Imperatives of Comprehensive Clean-Up of the Niger Delta Environment: Role of the Media.”
The Paramount Ruler of Upata Kingdom in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRM King Felix Otuwarikpo, while speaking criticised provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), saying host communities were unfairly being held responsible for pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
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Otuwarikpo, however, argued that although the PIA provides that part of the host communities’ development fund should be used to repair damaged oil facilities in cases of sabotage, oil firms have continued to rely on security agencies to protect pipelines while sidelining local communities.
further, he alleged that some individuals within the oil industry were complicit in acts of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.
“Most of the pipeline leakages are deliberate,” he stated, insisting that communities should not be made scapegoats for crimes allegedly driven by powerful interests.
The traditional ruler further accused the Federal Government of paying little attention to the environmental and health challenges confronting oil-bearing communities.
“The environment is very key and attention is usually not given to the environment because most of the consequences we suffer at the community level do not happen at the GRA,” he said.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Mr. Amaechi Okonkwo, described the gathering as a call to action on the environmental crisis in the Niger Delta.
According to him, despite decades of oil exploration that sustained Nigeria’s economy, the region remains plagued by polluted rivers, destroyed farmlands, gas flaring and loss of livelihoods.
“Our land, rivers, creeks, and forests have suffered extensive pollution arising from oil exploration and exploitation activities, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, gas flaring, and years of environmental neglect,” he said.
Okonkwo noted that many communities that once depended on fishing and farming now struggle with contaminated water sources, declining biodiversity and serious health concerns.
He stressed that while the Federal Government initiated the Ogoni clean-up following recommendations by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), several other impacted communities across the region remained unattended to.
“The future of the Niger Delta depends greatly on the decisions we make today regarding environmental remediation, sustainable development, and responsible governance,” he added.
He urged journalists to intensify advocacy for environmental protection and hold both government institutions and multinational corporations accountable for environmental abuses.
Also speaking, the National Vice President of the NUJ, Zone F, Mr. Opaka Dokubo, lamented the destruction of mangrove forests across the region.
“Our mangroves have now been converted to tank farms. The mangroves that put food on the tables of the Niger Delta and trained most of their children through schools have now been converted to tank farms,” he said.
Environmental activist, Chief Constance Meju, on her part, challenged journalists to humanise environmental reporting in the region, warning that growing unemployment and crime were linked to the destruction of traditional means of livelihood.
“Crime has continued to increase in the region because we have lost our sources of livelihoods,” she said.
Stakeholders at the event called for a comprehensive clean-up of the Niger Delta and stronger collaboration among communities, the media, government and oil companies to restore the environment and rebuild public trust.
