RismadarVoice Reporters
May 18, 2026
The Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence (NDAC) has raised concerns over what it described as a worsening ecological and public health emergency in oil-producing communities, calling for the urgent decommissioning of abandoned oil wells across the region.
The group made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of its 5th convergence held in Uyo organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in collaboration with civil society organisations, researchers, environmental experts and community stakeholders.
Themed “Towards Decommissioning and Accountability in the Niger Delta,” the meeting reviewed environmental conditions in oil-bearing communities and urged stricter regulatory enforcement and accountability from oil companies operating in the region.
NDAC described abandoned and leaking oil wells as “crime scenes,” warning that they continue to pose serious threats to human health, livelihoods, biodiversity and the environment.
According to the group, several decommissioned and abandoned oil facilities across the Niger Delta continue to leak hydrocarbons into surrounding environments, contaminating farmlands, rivers and groundwater sources years after operations have ceased.
It referenced cases such as abandoned wells in Otuabagi and the 2007 SPDC Ibibio-1 well in Ikot Ada Udo, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, describing them as examples of the long-term environmental risks posed by neglected oil infrastructure.
The stakeholders also expressed concern over ongoing oil well fires and blowouts, including the Ororo-1 well in Ondo State, which has reportedly been burning since 2020, and the Alakiri wellhead fire in Rivers State, active since 2024.
They attributed the incidents to regulatory lapses and weak enforcement by agencies such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
NDAC further accused multinational oil companies of exploiting divestment arrangements and regulatory loopholes to avoid environmental cleanup obligations, leaving host communities to bear the consequences of pollution and degradation.
The group also criticised aspects of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, arguing that it has failed to adequately protect host communities or ensure corporate accountability for environmental damage. It said certain provisions unfairly place responsibilities on communities without guaranteeing protection of their health and livelihoods.
Citing previous studies, including the UNEP Ogoniland Report, the Niger Delta Environmental Survey, and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission report, the stakeholders said there is overwhelming evidence of long-standing ecological devastation in the region.
They also referenced a 2024 report by the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, which allegedly found traces of multiple petroleum hydrocarbons in the bodies of women in the Otuabagi community.
The convergence called for an immediate audit, decommissioning, remediation and ecological restoration of abandoned oil facilities across the Niger Delta, insisting that the Federal Government must take responsibility for environmental rehabilitation.
It also demanded an amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act and the establishment of a transparent, enforceable framework to regulate oil company divestment processes.
The group further advocated for improved transparency in the management of ecological funds and stronger inclusion of host communities in environmental governance and decision-making processes.
