The Minister for Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to developing Ogoniland, highlighting efforts by the current administration to improve the lives of its people.
According to Momoh, President Tinubu has genuine intentions for Ogoniland in Rivers State.
“The President is a visionary leader who understands the concerns of the people. Over the past year, Mr President has met twice with Ogoni leaders—traditional rulers, political figures, religious heads, and others—all to foster peace and enable oil exploration to resume,” the minister said on Newsnight, a programme on Channels Television, aired on Monday.
Momoh praised Tinubu’s approach, citing the President’s directive to the National Security Adviser (NSA) to mediate among opposing factions in Ogoniland.
“If these groups, who previously refused to engage with each other, can now sit at the same table, peace can be achieved, and oil exploration can commence. To further show his commitment to inclusivity, less than a week ago, the President signed into law the establishment of a Federal University of Environment in Ogoniland, dedicated to addressing environmental issues affecting the Ogoni people.”
Ongoing Projects and Past Neglect
The minister noted that since Tinubu’s administration began, various projects have been launched in Ogoniland, including some that had long been abandoned.
“Under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), numerous initiatives are now underway, whereas before this administration, progress had stalled,” Momoh added.
Ogoniland, home to roughly a million people, suffered years of environmental degradation due to oil and gas exploration by a joint venture with Shell.
Following mass protests led by activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the so-called Ogoni Nine, Shell ceased production in 1993.
The Nigerian government pledged to restore the damage after a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment, which estimated an initial cleanup cost of $1 billion over five years. Cleanup efforts began in January 2019.
Debate Over Oil Exploration Resumption
Despite past environmental concerns, the Federal Government is now considering resuming oil exploration in Ogoniland.
While this move has sparked debate, some local youths have expressed their support for the proposal, calling for greater inclusion in the process.