The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) convened a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the Azaiki Public Library, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to deliberate on the pressing theme: “Issues of Oil Re-pollution and Recommendations Towards Solving this Menace in the Niger Delta.”
The event brought together scholars, policymakers, community representatives, civil society organizations, and environmental advocates to exchange ideas on tackling the persistent challenge of oil re-pollution in the Niger Delta.
Representing the academia at the high-level dialogue, Mr. Ebikapade Amasuomo, Lecturer in Environmental Management at Niger Delta University, delivered a thought-provoking submission that challenged the conventional approach to environmental advocacy in the region.
According to Mr. Amasuomo, there is a pressing need to rethink advocacy strategies by aligning environmental management with poverty alleviation. He argued that conservation and resource protection can only be meaningful when the immediate socio-economic needs of local communities are addressed.
“It is time we change the way we approach environmental management advocacy. The focus should not only be on preserving natural resources in isolation but also on ensuring that local communities have food in their stomach. People can only conserve the environment when their immediate needs are met,” he emphasized.
Dr. Amasuomo’s position sparked a vibrant debate among participants. While some stakeholders strongly agreed that addressing poverty is a prerequisite for effective environmental stewardship, others maintained that conservation efforts must remain the primary focus of advocacy, regardless of prevailing economic challenges.
Nevertheless, his submission resonated with many community participants who acknowledged the harsh realities of hunger, unemployment, and deprivation in oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta. They noted that without integrating livelihood opportunities into environmental programs, efforts to mobilize communities against oil re-pollution would remain unsustainable. See CEHRD and Ebikapade’s post on X
The roundtable concluded with a call for multi-sectoral collaboration among government, oil companies, academia, and civil society to pursue solutions that balance environmental protection with socio-economic development.
The CEHRD reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining dialogues of this nature, with the aim of shaping policies that respond to both ecological and human needs in the Niger Delta.
