Stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have issued a powerful demand for the Federal Government to launch an immediate and comprehensive cleanup of areas devastated by oil spills. This urgent call to action aims to enable local communities, whose farmlands have been destroyed, to return to their agricultural livelihoods.
High-Level Dialogue in Abuja
The pressing appeal was made during a high-level policy dialogue held in Abuja on 20 November 2025. The event was organized by BudgIT and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), with a core objective of aligning subnational economic plans with Nigeria's national energy transition goals.
Alice Adebayo, a Research and Policy Analyst at BudgIT, underscored the critical need to address the severe environmental damage plaguing oil-producing communities. She explained that recurring oil spills have crippled agricultural activities in states like Delta, creating a dual crisis where farmers not only face contaminated land but also struggle with terrible road networks that prevent them from transporting their goods to market.
The Global Shift and Local Consequences
Adebayo contextualized the issue within the global move towards renewable energy, citing the Netherlands' push for net zero emissions. She warned that as the world shifts focus and the price of oil declines, Nigeria's primary export market could shrink dramatically.
"So what can be done?" Adebayo asked. "It is very important for remediation efforts to be carried out in these states so that they will be able to go back into agriculture fully. It is not enough to just say we need to go back to agriculture. Remediation effort needs to be done."
A Call for Governance and Investment
Beyond environmental cleanup, Adebayo emphasized the necessity of improved fiscal governance. She advocated for greater transparency and accountability in revenue management, which would build public trust and increase state revenues.
She also called for direct investment in the agricultural sector itself. "There is a need to invest critically in agriculture and in infrastructure that will promote market access for farmers," she noted, recalling testimonies from Delta State where community members are actively farming but are cut off from markets due to inadequate roads.
The stakeholders concluded that these combined interventions—remediation, fiscal reform, and agricultural investment—are essential. They are not just about restoring lost livelihoods but are crucial for positioning the Niger Delta to participate in and benefit from the global energy transition, as the long-term demand for fossil fuels faces an inevitable decline.
