Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has called on presidential candidates in the 2027 general election to make environmental recovery in the Niger Delta a central part of their campaign agendas. Agbakoba, who chairs the Niger Delta Environmental Justice Lawyers’ Forum, made the demand in a position paper titled “From Oloibiri to Renewal: An Agenda for an Environmental Recovery Compact for Nigeria’s 2027 Presidential Candidates.” The forum is non-partisan and does not endorse any political party or candidate.
The Niger Delta region has endured decades of environmental harm due to oil exploration, yet it rarely features in presidential campaigns. The forum has resolved to bring the Niger Delta into the national conversation, seeking to address the environmental crisis in the oil-producing region. Agbakoba stated that the Niger Delta sits at the heart of the national economy and has borne the environmental cost of Nigeria’s oil economy since oil was first discovered at Oloibiri in 1956.
The forum identified fragmentation as a major challenge in addressing environmental issues in the Niger Delta. Issues such as clean-up, compensation, public health, security, divestment, and energy transition are being handled separately without a single institution accountable for overall outcomes. The lawyers argue that this has led to delayed or inadequate remediation, disputed spill investigations, and harm to health and livelihoods.
The need for urgent action was highlighted by the gas explosion in Bille Kingdom, Rivers State, which severely injured Joy Amos on September 3, 2026. Amos subsequently died at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt on September 21, 2026, after receiving treatment for severe burn injuries. A petition filed before the Magistrate Court of Rivers State is seeking a formal Coroner’s Inquest into her death.
Agbakoba also called for the establishment of a statutory Niger Delta Environmental Restoration and Compensation Authority to coordinate the implementation of recommendations from decades of reports and inquiries on environmental degradation in the region. The authority would help address the environmental crisis and provide justice for victims such as Joy Amos.
The forum’s position paper is a contribution to the national conversation on the environmental crisis in the Niger Delta region. The lawyers are asking each presidential candidate to provide their agenda for environmental recovery in the Niger Delta. This would help bring the issue to the forefront of the 2027 general election campaign.
The Niger Delta Environmental Justice Lawyers’ Forum is seeking to bring attention to the environmental crisis in the region, which has been documented by various reports, investigations, and court decisions. The forum’s efforts aim to ensure that presidential candidates prioritize the environmental recovery of the Niger Delta region.
Key points
- Dr. Olisa Agbakoba urges 2027 presidential candidates to prioritize environmental recovery in the Niger Delta region.
- The Niger Delta region has endured decades of environmental harm due to oil exploration.
- A statutory Niger Delta Environmental Restoration and Compensation Authority is proposed to coordinate environmental restoration efforts.
