Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Monday joined former President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders to reflect on the costs and benefits of oil exploration in the Niger Delta, urging stakeholders to chart a more sustainable future for the region.
The leaders spoke at the opening of the 2026 Sweet Crude Dialogue held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Towers in Yenagoa. Themed “Through the Python’s Eye: 70 Years of Oil and Gas Production in Nigeria,” the event brought together industry players, academics, and government officials.
Represented by his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, Governor Diri lamented the scale of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, citing findings from the defunct Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission which reported that about 13 million barrels of crude were spilt between 1958 and 2010. He described the situation as “nothing short of an environmental genocide” and called on advocacy groups to collaborate with government in implementing the commission’s recommendations.
“The Bayelsa State Government is committed to environmental justice, remediation of our lands and waters, restoration of livelihoods, and a just energy transition. But government cannot carry this responsibility alone,” he said.
Former President Jonathan, who chaired the occasion, stressed the importance of local content in oil production. He argued that Nigeria’s economy would not diversify or create sufficient jobs by merely exporting crude oil. “What will diversify your economy is the industrial aspects of the operations of the oil industry,” Jonathan said, commending the Local Content Act of 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Ibibia Worika, a petroleum law expert, noted that while oil production had generated wealth for Nigeria, it also exposed governance weaknesses and left the Niger Delta with little to show for its contributions. He described environmental justice for the region as “a constitutional, moral and developmental imperative.”
Other speakers included Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori (represented by his Chief of Staff, Prince Johnson Erijo), NDDC Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku (represented by Pastor James Oworibo), PANDEF Chairman Dr Godknows Igali (represented by Prof. Stephen Olali), and academics from Bayelsa Medical University and Niger Delta University.
The two-day dialogue featured plenary sessions moderated by Prof. Franklin Osaisai, former Director-General of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission.
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