By Victor Essang
Stakeholders drawn from across the Niger Delta have called for urgent, coordinated and far-reaching action to confront decades of environmental degradation, economic exploitation and institutional neglect in Nigeria’s oil-producing region, as the fifth edition of the Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence (NDAC 2026) ended with strong demands for justice, accountability and ecological restoration.
The convergence, held in Uyo recently under the theme, “Towards Decommissioning and Accountability,” brought together environmental activists, community leaders, labour representatives, researchers, traditional institutions, women and youth groups, as well as civil society organisations from across the nine states of the Niger Delta.
Convened by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation in collaboration with labour unions, environmental experts, researchers and grassroots organisations, the gathering served as a platform for critical reflection on the environmental, economic and social consequences of decades of extractive activities in the oil-rich region.
Participants at the convergence demanded an immediate end to what they described as years of environmental injustice, regulatory failure and corporate impunity, insisting that communities devastated by oil exploration can no longer be abandoned to polluted ecosystems, destroyed livelihoods and worsening public health conditions.
A major focus of this year’s convergence was the growing concern over thousands of abandoned, unsecured and undecommissioned oil and gas facilities scattered across the Niger Delta, with experts, researchers and community advocates warning that years of regulatory inaction and corporate neglect have left communities exposed to grave environmental and human risks.
Through technical sessions, panel discussions and data-driven presentations, participants undertook what organisers described as a deep historical examination of the root causes and long-term consequences of abandoned oil wells across the region, tracing decades of oil spills, industrial pollution and ecological destruction while assessing their economic, environmental and public health implications for host communities.
Stakeholders reviewed available records on abandoned oil wells, pipelines and petroleum infrastructure, making a strong case for immediate decommissioning, environmental remediation and stricter accountability from both government regulators and oil companies operating in the region.
Among the key resolutions contained in the communiqué was a demand for the immediate identification, comprehensive audit and public disclosure of all abandoned oil and gas wells, pipelines and related facilities across the Niger Delta, with participants insisting that transparency remains essential to achieving meaningful remediation and justice.
The stakeholders also called for urgent amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act to strengthen environmental responsibility provisions, decommissioning obligations and corporate accountability, arguing that the current legal framework does not adequately protect host communities or guarantee justice for victims of environmental destruction.
The convergence further demanded greater participation of host communities, women, youths and indigenous populations in environmental governance, regulatory decision-making and decommissioning processes, noting that local populations have remained largely excluded from critical engagements that directly affect their future.
Participants also warned that the worsening impacts of climate change, including flooding, displacement, food insecurity and the destruction of livelihoods, are compounding the vulnerability of Niger Delta communities already burdened by decades of oil pollution, ecosystem destruction and institutional neglect.
They criticised the management of Nigeria’s ecological fund and other intervention mechanisms, alleging that resources earmarked for addressing environmental emergencies in the region have failed to reach grassroots communities most affected by ecological disasters.
However, stakeholders commended the government of Akwa Ibom State for indicating willingness to partner with NDAC on decommissioning initiatives, and urged other Niger Delta states to adopt similar commitments toward environmental restoration, ecological justice and institutional accountability.
Speakers at the event said the time had come for the people of the Niger Delta to rise, organise and boldly challenge systems that have sustained ecological destruction while leaving host communities trapped in poverty, underdevelopment and environmental insecurity.
The gathering emphasised the urgent need to build people’s power, demand socio-ecological justice, and reclaim the Niger Delta from what participants described as decades of exploitation, environmental abuse and political abandonment.
One of the speakers, Emem Bridget Okon, stressed the critical role of women in the struggle for environmental justice, warning against the exclusion of communities from conversations surrounding oil facility decommissioning.
“Women must be at the centre of environmental justice in the Niger Delta. We need clear, simple awareness on what decommissioning truly means, so communities are not invaded under its name while millions of naira disappear again,” she said.
She urged communities to seek knowledge, understand their rights and boldly demand accountability, insisting that residents could no longer afford to remain spectators in the struggle to reclaim and restore their environment.
Stakeholders noted that communities across the region continue to bear the devastating consequences of oil exploration, including polluted waterways, destroyed farmlands, loss of livelihoods and worsening public health conditions, with little accountability from responsible institutions and corporate actors.
They maintained that decommissioning ageing oil infrastructure, enforcing environmental accountability, carrying out adequate remediation and ensuring reparations for affected communities must now become an urgent national priority.
Participants also called on citizens to reject political systems and leadership structures they said have repeatedly failed to protect the interests of the people or deliver sustainable development to the region.
The convergence ended with a renewed commitment by participants to sustain advocacy, grassroots mobilisation and collective action until environmental restoration is achieved and justice delivered to communities across the Niger Delta.
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