Stakeholders in Nigerias sector will gather in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on September 29 and 30 to ask for environmental cleanup and settlement of remaining liabilities before onshore oil assets are handed over to new operators.
Stakeholders demands will headline the National Extractives Dialogue (NED 2026) arranged by Spaces for Change (S4C) together with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) with help from the Ford Foundation.
The theme is “Remediation Before Divestment and Energy Transition: Amplifying the Bille Environmental Crisis.” This two‑day event will bring together than 150 participants from government, regulators, civil society, host communities, academia and the private sector.
Organisers say the dialogue comes at a time when international oil companies speed up the sale of assets while Nigeria pushes forward with its energy transition plan.S4C warns that historical environmental liabilities must not be handed over to host communities or new operators unless there are remediation steps and accountability measures.
Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area will take centre stage after reports say environmental problems are affecting waterways, homes, creeks and farming. The community hosts major oil assets, such as OMLs 18 and 24 and residents still wait for scientific studies and urgent relief, especially clean water.
The dialogue will give communities a chance to speak directly with regulators and industry stakeholders while looking for real solutions, to environmental liabilities, regulatory gaps and community worries.Stakeholders hope that the dialogue will lead to actions that protect the environment and the people of Bille Kingdom.
