The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has affirmed that President Bola Tinubu is deeply committed to the development of Ogoniland and improving the lives of its people. Momoh outlined several efforts by the current administration to bring positive change to the region.
According to the minister, President Tinubu has shown genuine concern for Ogoniland in Rivers State. “The President is a visionary leader who understands the concerns of the people,” Momoh said. “Over the past year, Mr. President has held two separate meetings with the Ogoni leaders—traditional rulers, political figures, religious leaders, and others—aimed at fostering peace in the region to facilitate the resumption of oil exploration.”
Momoh further highlighted that President Tinubu’s approach has been effective, noting that during a recent meeting, the President instructed the National Security Adviser to help unify various factions within the region. “The groups that once could not sit together at the same table can now do so, which is a significant step toward peace,” he explained. Once peace is fully restored, oil exploration is expected to resume. To demonstrate his commitment to the Ogoni people, less than a week ago, President Tinubu signed into law the establishment of a Federal University of Environment in Ogoniland, specifically designed to address environmental issues affecting the region.
The minister also pointed out that under the Tinubu administration, several projects have been launched in Ogoniland, including the revival of those that had been abandoned in the past. “Through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), significant progress has been made on several projects that were stalled before this administration took office,” Momoh noted.
Ogoniland, home to around a million people, became a symbol of environmental degradation after years of oil and gas exploration, particularly by Shell in a joint venture. In 1993, following mass protests led by activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, Shell halted production in the region.
The Nigerian government had pledged to address the environmental damage, following a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment of the area. The UNEP had estimated that an initial cleanup would cost $1 billion and take five years. Cleanup activities officially began in January 2019. Despite this, the Federal Government is now looking to resume oil exploration in Ogoniland, with the aim of balancing development with environmental restoration.
