‘A Sacrificial Zone’: Bassey Raises Alarm Over Oil Pollution In Bayelsa

By AUGUSTINA McSOLOMON-OGHAKPERUO

Environmental Crisis Takes Centre Stage in Nembe

BAYELSA State is facing an environmental crisis of alarming proportions, according to environmentalist Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, who says decades of oil and gas extraction have left the state among the most polluted places in Nigeria and possibly the world.

Bassey, the Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, raised the concern during a one-day capacity-sharing programme with residents of Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area.

He linked the pollution burden directly to the long history of hydrocarbon extraction across the Niger Delta.

According to him, the environmental consequences extend beyond isolated oil spills. They include damaged farmlands, polluted waterways, declining fish stocks, deforestation, erosion and growing pressure on communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on land and water.

Bassey cited the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission Report, published in May 2023, which recorded a per capita oil pollution level of 1.5 barrels of crude oil.

The figure, he argued, illustrates the extraordinary environmental burden carried by communities in the oil-producing state.

He also referred to the environmental assessment of Ogoniland conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, as a reminder of the long-term consequences of oil contamination in the Niger Delta.

The Ogoniland assessment emerged from extensive scientific investigations into the impact of decades of oil pollution. It examined contaminated land, groundwater and ecosystems across several communities.

For Bassey, the lessons from Ogoniland remain relevant to Bayelsa.

He argued that pollution cannot simply be covered, contained temporarily or addressed through superficial interventions. Proper remediation, he said, requires sustained scientific action capable of restoring damaged ecosystems and protecting affected communities.

Calls Grow for Proper Clean-Up

The environmental activist accused oil companies of failing to adequately restore some polluted locations.

He said many communities had continued to live with the consequences of oil exploration long after spills and other incidents occurred.

Bassey described the wider Niger Delta as a region that had, for decades, carried the environmental cost of Nigeria’s petroleum economy.

Oil has generated enormous revenue for the country. Yet many communities located close to production facilities continue to struggle with contaminated water, damaged fisheries and declining agricultural productivity.

He warned against treating the situation as an ordinary environmental problem.

Although he acknowledged the weight of the expression “environmental genocide,” Bassey insisted that the scale of destruction in some parts of the Niger Delta demanded serious attention.

His intervention also highlighted the environmental changes affecting the physical landscape.

Deforestation has altered parts of the region. Erosion continues to threaten land and coastlines. Meanwhile, pollution has placed additional pressure on rivers, creeks and mangrove ecosystems.

For communities such as Nembe, these developments carry immediate economic consequences.

Fishing and farming remain major sources of livelihood. When water becomes polluted or farmland loses productivity, the damage quickly reaches household incomes and food security.

Nembe Residents Describe Livelihood & Health Concerns

Local officials at the programme also painted a troubling picture of the situation in Nembe.

The Head of Administration of Nembe Local Government Area, Mr. Godson Jim-Dorgu, said the community had suffered repeatedly from oil spills and other activities associated with petroleum operations.

He said pollution had damaged fish and farm produce, worsening economic hardship among residents.

Jim-Dorgu particularly referred to the Santa Barbara oil spill, which affected the area for several months.

According to him, the affected environment has not received adequate remediation since the incident.

He said the pollution had continued to affect aquatic life and the livelihoods of people who depend on the waterways.

The local government official called on the Federal Government and oil companies to take stronger action and begin proper remediation of damaged areas.

His appeal reflected a wider demand across the Niger Delta: communities want environmental intervention to move beyond investigations, promises and temporary relief.

They want damaged ecosystems restored.

Public Health Joins the Environmental Debate

The environmental concerns raised in Nembe also extended to public health.

Chief Jude Pulemote, the Director of Primary Health Care in Nembe Local Government Area, said oil exploration activities had contributed to serious challenges facing rural residents.

He drew attention to the health and nutritional difficulties confronting vulnerable groups, including pregnant women.

According to him, many expectant mothers in the area suffer from anaemia.

He linked part of the wider hardship to the disruption of traditional livelihoods.

The connection between environmental damage and human health remains central to the concerns expressed by residents and environmental advocates.

When fishing declines, household nutrition can suffer. When farming becomes difficult, family incomes fall. When water sources come under pressure, communities face further risks.

The result is a crisis that moves from the environment into homes, clinics and local economies.

Beyond Oil Wealth

The concerns raised in Nembe expose a familiar contradiction in the Niger Delta.

The region remains central to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Yet many host communities continue to demand greater protection from the environmental consequences of the same industry.

For Bassey, the question is no longer simply whether pollution exists.

The more urgent issue is how quickly authorities, regulators and oil companies can identify damaged areas, establish responsibility and carry out effective remediation.

Nembe’s experience also shows why environmental recovery cannot be separated from economic and public health intervention.

Communities need clean water.

Fishermen need productive waterways.

Farmers need usable land.

Families need protection from the wider consequences of environmental degradation.

The calls from Bayelsa therefore add to the continuing demand for a more accountable approach to oil extraction in the Niger Delta.

For communities that have lived with pollution for years, the real measure of progress may not be another assessment or public commitment.

It may be whether damaged land and water are finally restored.