Environment
ENHWE Field Dev: Community Panics Over Environmental Impacts
Aminigboko Community in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State has drawn the attention of both the federal and state governments to the likely environmental effects of the proposed ENHWE field development project by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) on the community.
The community which said this in its position paper at the just concluded Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) panel review meeting in Port Harcourt, said that though it welcomes the project, mitigative measures be put in place to ensure that its environment is not adversely affected when the project commences.
“Consequently, the proposed project has a number of environmental socio-economic problems associated with its operations, ranging from vegetation removal loss of plants and animals loss of plants and animals contamination of both surface and ground water, pressure from influx of people on facilities in our communities, crime rate, increase in waste generation, reduction in quality of air, water and soil, increased in cost of living amongst others.”
Consequently, the community demanded that more Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAS) be held in the future to determine variations of environmental status following the project.
The paper which was signed by the Unema/paramount ruler of Aminigboko Community, Emughan Abua, Chief Olephiri Franklin Igoma, specifically demanded the rehabilitation of the Aminigboko water scheme built and donated by the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) as the water scheme is in dysfunctional state, rehabilitation of the Aminigboko cottage hospital donated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), rehabilitation of Emesu water side road built by SPDC but abandoned for years and the urgent fencing of four pits in the area inhabitated by alligators, crocodiles, pythons, bea constricors and other dangerous creatures to prevent the stray of the animals and avert loss of lives. While all fabrication work be done within the area.
“The Aminigboko community stakeholders vehemently opposed off-site fabrication outside our community. Our community is ready to donate land to serve as fabrication site as regards the ENHWE field Development Project it said.
The community also commended the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) for earmarking 2.5 per cent cost of project for social sustainability for host and impacted communities.
“This is highly commendable but it was unilaterally approved without negotiation.
“We appeal to Shell to review the said value to 5 per cent and TO clearly outline the beneficiaries as applicable to host communities and impacted communities”.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.