By Luck Ebide

The Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), a prominent media organization in the Niger Delta, has called on the federal government to suspend any plans for new oil exploration in the region unless meaningful dialogue and developmental agreements are reached.

This statement follows a report by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), published in ThisDay newspaper on January 4, 2025, which highlighted the need for 123.48 million barrels of crude oil to supply Nigeria’s nine refineries in the first half of 2025. With the Dangote Refinery receiving the largest share, the report emphasized the need for more oil drilling to meet growing domestic and international demands.

In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Ozobo Austin, the IPF expressed discontent with the lack of development in the Niger Delta, particularly in the riverine Ijaw areas, despite decades of oil exploration. “We are making it clear that the Ijaw people will no longer permit further drilling of oil wells in our territories unless the federal government addresses critical issues such as capital development and allocates a fairer share of the oil proceeds to the region,” ” our oil money cannot be paying for colossal development elsewhere while we don’t have roads to drive to our ancestral homes, schools for our people to learn, and hospitals to treat our people.” the statement read in part.

The group highlighted the plight of riverine communities, which have suffered the consequences of oil exploitation for over 50 years, including environmental degradation, lack of infrastructure, and health crises. According to the IPF, the government’s neglect has left many parts of the region in darkness and poverty, with no single federal projects implemented since Nigeria’s independence.

The IPF emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of existing oil and gas ownership laws through a roundtable discussion that would prioritize developmental projects in the Ijaw riverine areas before any further oil exploration. “If the federal government cannot engage in such negotiations, they should look elsewhere for oil,” the statement added.

The forum also raised concerns about the future of the Niger Delta, especially Ijaws, once oil reserves are depleted. They cited Oloibiri, the site of Nigeria’s first commercial oil discovery, as a cautionary example of a community left in ruins after its resources were exhausted.

Furthermore, the IPF criticized the disparity in how natural resources are managed across Nigeria. They pointed out that mineral resources such as gold and lead in northern states like Zamfara are treated as private assets for local communities, while oil and gas from the Niger Delta remain under federal control. “If gold, iron ore, and other minerals in the North are considered indigenous resources, then oil and gas in the Niger Delta must also belong to the local people,” the statement argued.

The group called on governors, lawmakers, traditional rulers, and civil society organizations from the Niger Delta to advocate for the region’s rights and educate the federal government on the need to abandon any plans for new oil exploration in the area without a fair deal for the Ijaws. They stressed that such actions are essential to ensure long-term benefits for both the region and the country.