From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Stakeholders from various governments’ oil and gas establishments, International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other private sectors met in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, to re-strategize on sustainable ways to end oil theft and environmental degradation experienced in Nigeria.
The stakeholders at the 5th Oil and Gas roundtable organised by Nigeria and Entrepreneurship: Summit and Honours (NESH) Foundation, discussed on the theme “Nigerian Independence, Crude Oil Theft and Environment.” During the programme, the participants observed that lack of political will and poor leadership have been the bane of oil and gas sector in the country. They noted that after over 60 years of exploration and exploitation of crude oil, the country, especially the Niger Delta region, has only benefited from environmental degradation.
In his presentation at the event, the Interim Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Efiong Akwa, stated that the region was considered one of the highest oil impacted regions in the world due to poor regulated oil activities.
He noted some factors that have contributed to environmental degradation of the region over the years as gas flaring, industrial pollution, oil spillage and others.
Represented by Onuoha Obeka, Director, Environmental Protection and Control of NDDC, Akwa said: “In NDDC, we advocate more proactive governance system in the provision of infrastructure, effective environmental management to bring to an end to crude pipeline vandalism.
“We are presently seeking collaboration of sister agencies and IOCs in addressing the environmental issues within the Niger Delta region.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, founder of NESH Foundation, a non-profit organisation, explained that the roundtable was aimed at getting stakeholders together to rub minds to ensure that even though the IOCs were no longer onshore, that the independent firms were in a position to cope with the protection of the environment.