Nigeria to restart oil production in Ogoniland

The Nigerian government has announced plans to restart oil production in Ogoniland after a 30-year hiatus.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, made the announcement on Thursday at a national summit organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mark two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to Mr Ribadu, oil production is expected to resume soon in the region.

“Oil production will soon resume in Ogoniland after over 30 years,” he said.

Ogoni oil history

Ogoniland’s oil history dates back to the late 1950s, with exploration and production peaking in the following decades. Oilfields operated until the early 1990s, when public unrest and protests against oil companies, particularly Shell, halted operations.

Despite the suspension, the region still suffers from environmental pollution due to oil spills, leakages, and infrastructure damage.

A 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report exposed the severity of the pollution, revealing contaminated water, soil, and air, with benzene levels exceeding safe limits. The report estimated a 30-year restoration timeline and called for immediate action.

Ogoni clean-up

In 2016, the Nigerian government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, launched the Ogoni cleanup initiative under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), but progress has been slow.

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Local communities have remained frustrated, demanding justice, accountability, and compensation for the environmental and health impacts of decades of oil pollution.