Nigeria: 1,260 Oil Spills Identified in Niger Delta
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Leadership (Abuja)
5 August 2008
Posted to the web 5 August 2008
Edem Edem
A total of 1,260 oil spill sites have been identified in the oil-producing areas of Niger Delta. The break down of the figure includes in 2006, 253 Oil Spill incidents were reported, in 2007 588 were reported; while in the first two quarters of 2008, 419 were reported.
In addition, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has certified 327 oil impacted sites since October 2006 when the agency was established.
Minister of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Ach. Halima Tayo Alao, disclosed this in Calabar in her keynote address at the Stakeholder's Consultative Workshop. She said the Federal Government, having considered the negative effects of oil spills in the communities and the country, is embarking on protecting land, water and atmospheric resources of Nigeria.
She noted that the workshop was the first of the nation-wide exercise that would be conducted across the six geo-political zones.
The minister further said that the effect of socio-economic well- being has been less than desirable, resulting in restiveness in many crude oil producing areas. The effect of these phenomena has in the last decade had a negative impact on national economic development, she said.
In his welcome address, the Director General and Chief Executive of NOSDRA, Dr. B. A. Ajakaiye, said the main focus of the workshop was to explore ways of establishing an enduring mechanism for preventing and responding to oil spill incidents in Nigeria. Furthermore, the workshop is to also identify more effective ways of collaborating with oil companies, host communities, state and local governments, civil societies, non-governmental organisations and volunteers in implementing appropriate oil management.
"One of the root causes of the problems in the Niger Delta is the environmental degradation which emanated mostly from oil pollution. You will agree with me that there are challenges in oil spill management ranging from detection and reporting, vandalism, security, compensation and restoration of impacted elements amongst others", the DG stated.
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Declaring the workshop open, the acting governor, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Julius Okputu, said the oil spill impact especially from off shore facilities can not be localised due to the nature of oil, wind and tidal wave actions. He said effective management of any spill therefore, requires the collaboration of all coastal states, the Federal Government and most times, the cooperation of the regional and international commuity.
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