Table of Contents
- Call for Overhaul of Divestment Policies
- Resignation of CEOs
- New Leadership Appointments
- Call for Environmental Justice
- Acknowledgment of Dangote's Actions
- Impact on Host Communities
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to reform all divestment policies in the country's oil sector that were implemented during the tenures of the former chief executive officers of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe.
Environmentalist and activist Celestine AkpoBari made this request in a statement on Thursday.
It is worth noting that Ahmed and Komolafe submitted their resignations on Thursday after Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Refinery, accused Ahmed of corruption.
Following this, Tinubu appointed Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan and Saidu Mohammed as CEOs of NUPRC and NMDPRA, respectively.
Consequently, AkpoBari, who also leads the MIIDEEKOR Environmental Development Initiative, urged the new leadership of the two agencies to promptly revise Nigeria’s oil sector divestment policies, cautioning that existing practices are exacerbating environmental injustices in oil-producing communities.
He regarded the arrival of new leadership in the sector as a chance to restore transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the governance of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
AkpoBari also commended Dangote for what he termed his brave exposure of alleged corruption and regulatory capture within petroleum regulatory agencies.
He indicated that host communities in the Niger Delta have been left with contaminated land and waterways, damaged livelihoods, and deteriorating health conditions due to inadequately regulated divestment processes.
“As an organization committed to safeguarding the environment and the livelihoods of Niger Delta communities affected by decades of oil pollution, we urge the incoming chief executives to promptly review and revoke all divestment policies and orders enacted under the previous leadership.
“These policies have enabled the withdrawal of international oil companies from onshore assets without sufficient remediation of legacy pollution, leaving host communities with polluted lands, waterways, and health crises,” he stated.
What are the main concerns regarding the divestment policies in Nigeria's oil sector? The main concerns include the deepening of environmental injustices in oil-producing communities, the pollution of land and waterways, and the lack of adequate remediation for legacy pollution left by international oil companies.
The main concerns include the deepening of environmental injustices in oil-producing communities, the pollution of land and waterways, and the lack of adequate remediation for legacy pollution left by international oil companies.
Who has been appointed as the new CEOs of NUPRC and NMDPRA? Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan and Saidu Mohammed have been appointed as the new CEOs of NUPRC and NMDPRA, respectively.
Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan and Saidu Mohammed have been appointed as the new CEOs of NUPRC and NMDPRA, respectively.
What actions does AkpoBari recommend for the new leadership? AkpoBari recommends that the new leadership urgently review and reverse all divestment policies implemented under the previous administration to address environmental injustices and restore public trust.
AkpoBari recommends that the new leadership urgently review and reverse all divestment policies implemented under the previous administration to address environmental injustices and restore public trust.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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