Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri have called for stronger action to improve the Niger Delta, saying decades of oil production have brought wealth to Nigeria but left the region struggling with environmental damage and underdevelopment.
They made the appeal on Monday at the opening of the 2026 Sweet Crude Dialogue in Yenagoa, where government officials, oil industry stakeholders, academics and environmental advocates gathered to examine the impact of 70 years of oil and gas production in the country.
Speaking through his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, Governor Diri said communities in the Niger Delta continue to suffer the consequences of oil exploration and stressed the need for lasting environmental restoration. He urged advocacy groups and relevant organisations to partner with the government in implementing recommendations aimed at addressing the region’s environmental challenges.
Diri noted that findings from the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission revealed the scale of oil pollution recorded in the region over several decades, describing the situation as a serious environmental crisis.
“The State Government has embraced the Commission’s findings, and the Governor has asked me to reaffirm, in the clearest terms, this administration’s commitment to environmental justice, the remediation of our lands and waters, the restoration of livelihoods, and a just energy transition in which the communities that bore the burdens of the oil age are not abandoned at its close.
“A report of such weight must not remain on the shelf, and government cannot carry this responsibility alone.
“The Bayelsa State Government, therefore, calls on De Mangrove Conversations and all environmental advocacy organizations, especially those working across the Niger Delta, to align their efforts with the implementation of the recommendations of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission.”
Jonathan, who chaired the event, said Nigeria would gain more from its oil resources by developing local industries that support petroleum operations instead of depending largely on crude oil exports.
“If we cannot develop or produce some of these things used in the oil industry within the country, we will not achieve anything significant in the oil industry. It is not just about selling crude oil.
“Yes, we earn money from that, but that does not diversify the economy and create enough jobs. What will diversify your economy is the industrial aspects of the operations of the oil industry.
“That’s why I am happy with the local content board law my administration enacted in 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021. With these two pieces of legislation and if they are followed to the letter, with amendments where necessary, I believe things will be much better,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Ibibia Worika said oil production had transformed Nigeria’s economy but had also exposed deep governance and environmental challenges. He argued that the Niger Delta, despite contributing immensely to national revenue, has not received development that matches its contribution.
The dialogue also featured contributions from representatives of the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Pan Niger Delta Forum, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Bayelsa Medical University and other stakeholders, who discussed practical steps toward a more sustainable future for the region.