A coalition of more than 50 national and international civil society and environmental organisations has called on the Federal Government to halt any plan to resume oil production at the Yorla South oil field in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, insisting that Ogoniland should be cleaned up before any new petroleum activities are considered.
The groups, in a joint statement issued in Port Harcourt, expressed concern over reports that Dutchford Exploration and Production Company Limited had emerged as the successful bidder for the Yorla South oil field. They argued that reopening the wells would worsen decades of environmental degradation and undermine ongoing efforts to restore the Ogoni environment.
The coalition maintained that Ogoniland had endured years of pollution from oil exploration, leaving behind contaminated soil, polluted rivers, damaged ecosystems and unresolved environmental liabilities. According to the groups, the priority should be the decommissioning of old oil infrastructure, environmental remediation and restoration of affected communities.
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They referenced the findings of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which documented widespread environmental contamination in Ogoniland and recommended comprehensive cleanup before further oil activities.
The organisations also cited the 2025 oil spill in Kpean community, where crude reportedly leaked from an old dormant wellhead, contaminating farmlands and water sources. They alleged that affected residents were yet to receive adequate cleanup, compensation or healthcare support.
According to the coalition, no licence for renewed production should be granted until the Kpean spill is fully investigated and remediated, and affected residents are compensated.
The groups further warned against repeating incidents like the Ororo-1 well blowout and other pollution cases in oil-producing communities, urging authorities to prevent new gas flaring, oil spills, and environmental degradation in Ogoniland.
They demanded an immediate moratorium on any attempt to recommence production at Yorla South pending an independent environmental assessment, full remediation of polluted sites, public disclosure of licence details, comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments, meaningful consultation with host communities, and a legally enforceable framework assigning responsibility for environmental liabilities.
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The coalition also urged the government to prioritise restoration of Ogoniland over renewed oil extraction, describing environmental justice, community health and sustainable livelihoods as essential to the region’s future.
The statement was jointly endorsed by Oilwatch International, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Policy Alert, Amazon Watch, Oilwatch Nigeria and dozens of other environmental and civil society organisations.
