By Elvira Jordan
Renowned environmental activist, Nnimmo Bassey, has called on communities across the Niger Delta to draw inspiration from the historic struggle of the Ogoni people and demand environmental rights and climate justice in the face of worsening ecological degradation.
Bassey made the call during the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference in Port Harcourt, with the theme: “Unite for Justice.”
The environmental advocate described the environmental situation in the Niger Delta as an emergency that requires immediate intervention. He cited the prolonged fires in Ayetoro, Ondo State, the Bille inferno, and the two-year-old Alakiri fire in Rivers State, which he said have remained unattended by the operators of the affected oil facilities.
According to Bassey, discussions on climate change should extend beyond carbon emissions to include the environmental devastation caused in communities where fossil fuels are extracted.
Renowned environmental activist, Nnimmo Bassey, has called on communities across the Niger Delta to draw inspiration from the historic struggle of the Ogoni people and demand environmental rights and climate justice in the face of worsening ecological degradation.
Bassey made the call during the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference in Port Harcourt, with the theme: “Unite for Justice.”
The environmental advocate described the environmental situation in the Niger Delta as an emergency that requires immediate intervention. He cited the prolonged fires in Ayetoro, Ondo State, the Bille inferno, and the two-year-old Alakiri fire in Rivers State, which he said have remained unattended by the operators of the affected oil facilities.
According to Bassey, discussions on climate change should extend beyond carbon emissions to include the environmental devastation caused in communities where fossil fuels are extracted.
“The Niger Delta is one of the most polluted places on planet Earth. When we are discussing climate change issues, we shouldn’t just look at the carbon in the atmosphere, but also at the locations where the carbon is being extracted from and the damage that has been done in those areas,” he said.
He stressed the urgent need for large-scale restoration of the Niger Delta’s mangrove forests, noting that pollution and environmental destruction are widespread across the region.
Bassey further argued that meaningful climate action must address the social and environmental costs of fossil fuel extraction, including the destruction of livelihoods, loss of ancestral lands, and erosion of cultural heritage.
“No community in the Niger Delta can truly say it has prospered because of the oil beneath its soil,” he said. “We must reflect on where we are coming from and remember the promises made by oil companies when they first began operations.”
Commenting on global climate negotiations, Bassey expressed disappointment that over three decades of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings have failed to adequately address the environmental challenges facing the Niger Delta.
He noted that while debates continue over compensation for loss and damage caused by climate change, harmful practices such as gas flaring persist across many communities in the region.
“Gas flaring has been illegal in Nigeria since 1984, yet it continues. Instead, new flare sites are still being established,” he said. “It is unfortunate that the people who benefit the least from fossil fuel extraction are the ones bearing the greatest burden of climate change.”
The environmental campaigner urged Niger Delta communities to emulate the resilience of the Ogoni people in their quest for environmental justice.
“The entire Niger Delta needs to learn from the struggles of the Ogoni people, stand their ground, and say no to fossil fuel extraction,” he said.
Bassey also called on environmental advocates, civil society groups, and residents of impacted communities to sustain advocacy efforts for climate and environmental justice, insisting that the region deserves urgent remediation, accountability, and equitable development after decades of environmental degradation.
