Business
Ogoni Clean-Up: Group Wants Supplementary EIA
A group under the auspices of Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) has called for a supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment of Ogoniland to cover areas not captured in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report in the past.
President of the group, Comrade Legborsi Yaamabana made the call while speaking with The Tide in an interview in Port Harcourt, recently.
The youth leader, said the additional environmental impact assessment will help to ascertain the current state of Ogoni environment especially in the face of the increase in illegal bunkering and refining of hydro carbons in the area.
He decried what he described as the “lackadaisical” attitude of the Federal Government, Internation Oil Companies (IOCS) and the Hydro Carbon Remediation Programme (HYPREP) towards the implementation of the Ogoni clean-up exercise.
The OYF leader said “It is regrettable that the clean-up of the ogoni environment has remained a mirage, as no concrete or positive impact has been recorded in the remediation effort.
“It is quite disappointing that the government has decided to play politics with the Ogoni clean-up.”
He said Ogonis now suffer untold hardship as a result of the damages due to the environment, and called on Shell to pay reparations and adequate compensation to displaced Ogoni farmers and fishermen.
He added that Shell should also provide potable water for Ogoni people and include Ogoni youths in the scholarship programmes and empowerment policies.
Yaamabana faulted Shell’s policy of exclusion on the ground that they were not operating in Ogoni, noting that the decades of their operation in Ogoni brought misery and hardship to the people.
He pointed out that the group was in support of oil resumption in Ogoni, but added that any company coming to prospect for Ogoni oil must enter into due consultation with all relevant stakeholders in Ogoni, including the youth.
“The Ogonis have learnt a lot from Shell, any company coming into Ogoni must have a track record in social contract, country participation and competence in the industry. The Ogonis have suffered a lot and must be allowed to have a stake in the management of their resources through community participation and ownership.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.