Bayelsa Most Polluted State in Nigeria, Says Environmentalist
Environmental activist and Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, has described Bayelsa State as the most polluted state in Nigeria, citing decades of oil and gas exploration and its devastating impact on the environment and livelihoods.
Bassey made the assertion on Thursday during a one-day capacity-sharing programme with residents of Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
He said the scale of hydrocarbon pollution in the state was so severe that Bayelsa could rank among the most polluted areas globally.
According to him, the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission Report, published in May 2023, recorded a per capita oil pollution level of 1.5 barrels of crude oil.
The environmentalist also referenced the United Nations Environment Programme’s environmental assessment of Ogoniland as evidence of the long-term consequences of oil pollution in the Niger Delta.
Bassey said the UNEP assessment, commissioned by the Federal Government in 2006 and conducted between 2009 and 2011, examined the extent, impact and long-term consequences of oil contamination in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
He noted that the assessment involved extensive scientific fieldwork across Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme local government areas, laboratory analyses and consultations with affected communities.
Bassey, however, alleged that oil companies had failed to adequately remediate several polluted locations, accusing some operators of resorting to superficial clean-up measures rather than undertaking comprehensive environmental restoration.
He urged oil companies to end what he described as the systematic degradation of the Niger Delta, arguing that the region had effectively been treated as a “sacrificial zone” since the 1950s.
The environmentalist also highlighted the effects of oil and gas activities, including deforestation, land degradation and erosion along riverbanks and coastlines.
He acknowledged that describing the situation as “environmental genocide” was a serious characterisation but said the scale of environmental destruction warranted urgent attention.
Nembe residents demand remediation
Also speaking, the Head of Administration of Nembe LGA, Mr Godson Jim-Dorgu, said the area had suffered years of environmental degradation caused by oil spills and other oil industry activities.
Jim-Dorgu said oil pollution had severely affected fishing and agricultural production, worsening economic hardship among residents.
He called on the Federal Government and oil companies to commence comprehensive remediation of communities affected by oil exploration and production.
According to him, the Santa Barbara oil spill, which he said lasted for about six months, had not received adequate clean-up, with serious consequences for aquatic ecosystems and local livelihoods.
The Director of Primary Health Care in Nembe LGA, Chief Jude Pulemote, also linked oil exploration activities to health and socioeconomic challenges confronting rural communities.
Pulemote said many pregnant women in the area were battling anaemia, while disruptions to traditional livelihoods had further increased the vulnerability of residents.
He urged the Federal and Bayelsa State governments to take urgent measures to address the environmental, health and socioeconomic challenges confronting oil-producing communities.
The stakeholders maintained that comprehensive remediation, stronger environmental regulation and improved protection of host communities were necessary to address the longstanding consequences of oil exploration in Nembe and other parts of the Niger Delta.
