Fed govt pledges strategic action on ecological crisis in oil-producing communities
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling the ecological and environmental challenges confronting oil-producing communities across the country, declaring that their immense contributions to Nigeria’s economy will never
- ...as Akume assures Okpe monarch of collaboration with Environment Ministry, Ecological Project Office
- ...Orodje seeks intervention on shoreline erosion, flooding in Delta community
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling the ecological and environmental challenges confronting oil-producing communities across the country, declaring that their immense contributions to Nigeria’s economy will never be taken for granted.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, gave the assurance in Abuja on Monday while receiving a delegation of royal fathers from Okpe Kingdom, led by the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Orhue I, Maj Gen Felix Mujakperuo.
Akume acknowledged that decades of oil exploration and exploitation in host communities have resulted in serious ecological consequences, including environmental degradation, coastal and gully erosion, flooding, and other related challenges.
He said the Federal Government is fully aware of the environmental toll of oil production and has instituted measures to mitigate the impact on affected communities.
According to him, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, through the Ecological Project Office (EPO), will collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Environment to develop a deliberate and strategic response to address the concerns raised by the Okpe monarch.
In a statement issued by the Head of Information and Public Relations Department in the Office of the SGF, Dewan Nengak Goshit, Akume said, “The Government recognises the immense contributions of your great kingdom, the Okpe Kingdom, to the economic development of this country.
"We want to thank you for protecting these oil wells and pipelines. These are great assets that contribute to our country’s economy. We thank you and your leadership for protecting these assets,” Akume said.
The SGF commended the royal father for his meritorious service in the Nigerian Army and praised host communities for safeguarding critical national infrastructure, including oil wells and pipelines.
He further underscored the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to sustainable solutions by establishing the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) in Ogoniland.
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The institution, he noted, is aimed at producing skilled manpower to tackle ecological and technical issues arising from oil exploitation.
Akume also stressed that oil companies operating in host communities have statutory obligations to fulfil their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments to the areas where they operate.
Earlier, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom said the purpose of the visit was to seek urgent Federal Government intervention in addressing ecological challenges facing Ugbokodo, an oil-producing community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
He listed shoreline protection, land reclamation, and road improvement works as priority needs, noting that decades of oil exploration and gas flaring have left the community grappling with pollution, shoreline erosion, land loss, and recurrent flooding caused by overflowing rivers.
Despite hosting major international oil companies and safeguarding national pipelines, he said the community continues to suffer severe environmental degradation, calling for prompt and strategic government action.
