Ogoni oil spill: FG urged to decommission ageing oil facilities

Following frequent oilspills in Ogoni land and other parts of the Niger Delta, which have worsened environmental degradation in the region, the Federal Government has been urged to decommission all ageing oil facilities in the area.

The Guardian reports that between January and August 2025, no fewer than eight oil spills have been recorded in the already polluted Ogoni region, aggravating the plight of residents.

Mideekor Environmental Development Initiative, an advocacy group, said decommissioning obsolete facilities aligns with recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, which called for urgent action to prevent further disasters.

The appeal followed a fresh spill and fire outbreak at Well 14 in Yola, Kpean community, confirmed by a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) on August 13. Investigators traced the incident to severe corrosion of an abandoned wellhead left unattended since 1993.

Team lead of the group, Celestine Akpobari, described the situation as an “environmental catastrophe” that has escalated into a crisis, with fires spreading and threatening lives, farmlands, and fragile ecosystems. He noted that Kpean community alone has more than 17 aging and abandoned oil wells.

Akpobari called for urgent measures to extinguish the fire, clean up affected sites, and secure the wells to avert further risks. He also demanded fair compensation for farmers and fisherfolk whose livelihoods have been destroyed.

“The community is demanding accountability from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which oversees OML 11,” he said. “We reject any involvement of Sahara Energy or proxy companies. NNPCL must take full responsibility and act swiftly.”

He warned that failure to act could trigger mass protests and an international environmental campaign to draw global attention to the plight of the Ogoni people.

“The world must know the dangers our people face and the urgent need for justice. The time to act is now,” he stressed.

Source: The Guardian