Devastating Oil Spill in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Pollutes Farms and River

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A recent oil spill originating from a Shell facility in Nigeria has resulted in the contamination of farmland and a river, causing severe disruption to the fishing and farming communities in the Niger Delta. This region has long been plagued by environmental pollution caused by the oil industry.

The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) informed The Big Big News that the spill occurred in the Eleme area of Ogoniland, where Shell operates the Trans-Niger Pipeline. Shell has faced persistent local resistance to its oil exploration activities in this region for decades.

The exact quantity of oil spilled has yet to be determined, but activists have shared images showing polluted farmland, oil-covered water surfaces, and deceased fish trapped in the sticky crude.

While oil spills are not uncommon in the area due to pipeline vandalism by oil thieves and a lack of maintenance, according to the U.N. Environmental Program, activists are describing this incident as a “major” spill.

Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmental activist involved in monitoring spills in the Delta region, stated that this spill is one of the worst in the last 16 years in Ogoniland and began on June 11. It lasted for over a week, reaching the Okulu River, which connects with other rivers and ultimately flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The spill has affected numerous communities and displaced over 300 fishermen. Oil sheens carried by tides have traveled approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) to creeks near Port Harcourt, the nation’s oil business capital.

Although Shell ceased production in Ogoniland more than two decades ago due to deadly unrest triggered by residents protesting environmental damage, the Trans-Niger Pipeline still transports crude oil from other areas’ oil fields through the region’s communities to export terminals.

The leak has been contained, but the process of addressing the spill’s consequences at the affected farms and the Okulu River has been delayed, according to Idris Musa, the Director General of NOSDRA. He attributed the delay to protesting residents but assured that engagement efforts are underway.

This apparent impasse stems from deep-rooted mistrust and past grievances in the Niger Delta region, which is predominantly inhabited by minority ethnic groups who accuse the Nigerian government of marginalization. While the Niger Delta’s oil resources are crucial to Africa’s largest economy, pollution from oil production has deprived residents of clean water, harmed agriculture and fishing, and heightened the risk of violence, according to activists.

Dumnamene expressed the anger of the affected communities, stating that they blame Shell’s outdated equipment for the destruction of their livelihoods. They are concerned that both the regulator and Shell will attribute the spill to sabotage by residents. Oil companies often place blame on pipeline vandalism by oil thieves or discontented youth in affected communities, potentially allowing them to evade liability.

Shell, based in London, has stated that it is collaborating with a joint investigatory team consisting of regulators, Ogoniland residents, and local authorities to determine the cause and impact of the spill. The company’s response team has been activated and will take necessary actions to ensure the safety of the environment, people, and equipment.

NOSDRA confirmed the joint investigation, but the cause of the spill, whether sabotage or equipment failure, has not yet been disclosed.

Hundreds of farmers and fishermen, whose livelihoods have been severed, are demanding environmental restoration and compensation, according to Dumnamene.

In 2011, the Nigerian government requested an independent environmental assessment of Ogoniland from the U.N. Environment Program, which released a report criticizing Shell and the Nigerian government for 50 years of pollution and proposing a comprehensive billion-dollar cleanup. Although the government announced the cleanup initiative in 2016, there