- Ogoni, Rights Groups Commend Tinubu, Demand Transparency Before Oil Resumption
- The group praised President Tinubu and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee for initiating conversations on oil resumption
- They outlined several non-negotiable demands before oil operations can safely resume in Ogoniland
A coalition of Ogoni-based and international human rights organisations has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts to address the long-standing crises of oil theft, pollution, and underdevelopment in Ogoniland, while insisting that justice, transparency, and inclusiveness must guide any plans to resume oil production in the region.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the coalition comprising the National Union of Ogoni Students International (NUOS INT’L USA), Centre for Democracy, Human Rights and Anti-Corruption (CDHRAC INT’L USA), The Unseen Project, NYCOP Worldwide, NYCOP Nigeria, and several community-based organisations made the call in a joint statement issued on Tuesday, 14 October 2025.
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The statement, signed by Pius Barikpoa Nwinee, Sampson Npimnee, Cornelius Dumerenee, and Toate Ganago, praised President Tinubu and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee for initiating conversations on oil resumption but urged that the process must remain corrupt-free, transparent, and truly representative of the Ogoni people.
“We appreciate the President’s efforts and the committee’s engagement, but any dialogue or negotiation must serve the collective interest of all Ogonis not that of a few privileged individuals or corporate actors,” the statement read.
The coalition called for the immediate publication of the committee’s position paper to ensure public accountability and guard against manipulation by vested interests.
While commending the federal government’s renewed attention to the region, the groups criticised some recent policy actions, including the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the approval of Shell/NNPC’s sale of OML 11, describing them as “acts of poor judgment.”
They outlined several non-negotiable demands before oil operations can safely resume in Ogoniland. These include:
- The creation of Bori State to address political and economic marginalisation;
- The return of OML 11 to the Ogoni people;
- The full exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists, as a basis for reconciliation; and
- An independent international environmental reassessment to determine the safety of the region for renewed oil activities.
The coalition expressed concern that despite ongoing cleanup initiatives, “the Ogoni environment remains unsafe for oil production,” warning that the process risked becoming a “diversion” if transparency and justice were not upheld.
“We are open to dialogue,” the statement concluded, “but it must be founded on transparency, justice, and fairness for the Ogoni people and all Nigerians not on corporate greed.”
