Ismaila Umaru Lere
The Ogoni reclamation and remediation was initiated by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2013. The program seeks to address the environmental harm caused by oil exploration in the region and aims to restore Ogoniland back to its pre-oil state.
Since then the Nigerian government has committed to investing in the completion of the project, which includes the clean-up of contaminated land, waterways, and mangroves; conducting health surveys; and providing medical care for affected communities.
Working with the United Nations Environment Programme, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, and other stakeholders, both the Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari administrations have implemented the program half-heartedly and haphazardly.
The clean-up process is ongoing, but progress has been slow and sluggish. There have been concerns about the effectiveness and transparency of the remediation efforts. There have also been ongoing concerns about the role of multinational oil companies in the spills, as well as the need for broader policy reforms to address the root causes of environmental degradation and social conflict in the Niger Delta region.
Interestingly, the Ogoni oil spills and the clean-up efforts in the Niger Delta highlight the complex and ongoing challenges associated with environmental remediation and restoration in the region. While there have been efforts to address the environmental and social impacts of the spills, there is a need for continued engagement with local communities, policy reforms, and improved governance to ensure that the clean-up process is effective, transparent, and sustainable.
Historically, the Ogoni oil spills refer to a series of oil spills that occurred in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, specifically in the Ogoni region, from the 1970s through the 1990s. These spills were caused by oil exploration and production activities by the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies such as Shell, and have had significant environmental and social impacts on the region.
The spills have resulted in widespread contamination of land, water bodies, and ecosystems, leading to the loss of biodiversity, damage to agriculture, and impacts on the health and livelihoods of local communities. The spills have also contributed to social conflict in the region, as local communities have demanded compensation and remediation for the impacts of oil exploration and production.
In response to the spills, the Nigerian government established a special agency, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), to oversee the clean-up and remediation of contaminated sites in the Niger Delta, including the Ogoni region.
As of early 2021, HYPREP had completed the remediation of 21 contaminated sites in the Niger Delta, out of a total of 36 sites that are expected to be addressed in the first phase of the clean-up. The remediated sites include areas where contaminated soil has been excavated and treated or disposed of, and where ecosystems have been restored.
However, HYPREP has faced several challenges in implementing the clean-up process, including funding constraints, technical capacity issues, and community engagement concerns. There have also been concerns about the transparency and accountability of the clean-up process, including in the management of funds and the selection of contractors.
Earlier this month, former President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the project coordinator, Ferdinard Giadom, who was accused of mismanagement. The action coming just few weeks to the termination of the Buhari administration speaks volumes of the government’s displeasure with the lackluster nature and ineffectiveness of the clean-up management. The fact still remains that although some progress has been made in the last eight years of Buhari administration, there is still much work to be done to address the environmental and social impacts of the spills and to ensure that the clean-up process is effective, transparent, and sustainable.
Similarly, multinational oil companies, particularly those that operated in the Niger Delta region, have a significant role to play in the clean-up process. The oil exploration and production activities of these companies contributed to the environmental degradation and pollution in the Niger Delta, including the Ogoni oil spills that are the focus of the current clean-up efforts.
While some multinationals like Shell have committed $200 million to the clean-up process, and provided technical support to HYPREP in areas such as environmental monitoring and remediation technology many companies have not done enough to take responsibility for their role in the environmental degradation.
Indeed, the role of multinational oil companies in the clean-up process is a complex and contentious issue. But the new president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has his work cut out as it relates to the Ogoni clean-up.
First, President Tinubu will need to ensure that the government is doing all it can to ensure the successful completion of the program. This includes engaging with all relevant stakeholders, providing adequate funding, and monitoring progress. It is important that Tinubu and his team take swift action to ensure that the project is carried out properly and completed in a timely manner.
Talking about funding, the clean-up process requires significant financial resources to implement effectively. However, funding for the clean-up has been inadequate, and there have been delays in the disbursement of funds, which has slowed the progress of the clean-up.
Also, the clean-up process requires specialized technical expertise, including in areas such as soil and water sampling, environmental monitoring, and remediation technology. However, there are concerns about the capacity of the HYPREP and other implementing agencies to carry out the clean-up effectively.
In addition, local communities in the Niger Delta have been affected by the spills, but there have been concerns about the level of community engagement in the clean-up process, including in the planning and decision-making processes related to the remediation and restoration of contaminated sites.
Furthermore, the clean-up process is taking place in a context of ongoing insecurity, which can pose risks to the safety of workers and the effectiveness of the clean-up efforts.
Most significant, however, transparency and accountability of the clean-up process, including the management of funds, the selection of contractors, and the monitoring of progress is paramount. There is a need for greater accountability to ensure that the clean-up process is carried out effectively and that local communities are able to hold implementing agencies accountable for their actions.
Addressing the Ogoni clean-up challenges will require a sustained commitment from President Tinubu, his government, multinational oil companies, and other stakeholders to ensure that the process is carried out effectively and in a way that addresses the needs and concerns of local communities. This will require significant investments in funding, technical capacity, community engagement, security, and transparency and accountability.