IWG Raises Alarm Over Rising Oil Pollution-Related Health Hazards In Bayelsa

A non-governmental organization, the International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta (IWG), has raised serious concerns over the devastating impact of oil pollution on the environment and public health in Bayelsa State, describing the situation as an “environmental genocide.”

Hotnews reports that the group made its position known on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Governor Douye Diri at Government House, Yenagoa, as part of its ongoing sensitisation campaign on the health hazards associated with oil pollution in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the team lead of the IWG, Professor Engobo Emeseh of the Law Faculty, Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom, lamented that the continuous exposure of residents to contaminated land, polluted air and unsafe water had drastically reduced life expectancy in Bayelsa.

According to her, scientific findings from laboratory analyses of blood samples collected from indigenes across the eight local government areas of the state revealed alarming levels of hydrocarbon contamination and carcinogenic metals in the bodies of residents.

She explained that the findings pointed to increasing mortality and morbidity rates linked to prolonged exposure to oil pollution in the state.

Professor Engobo noted that the advocacy by the International Working Group was in line with recommendations contained in the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission Report submitted in 2023.

She commended the Bayelsa State Government for demonstrating leadership by becoming the first subnational government in Nigeria to establish a high-powered commission dedicated to addressing issues relating to oil pollution and environmental degradation.

The university professor recalled that members of the current IWG delegation had previously served on the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission and were deeply disturbed by the realities uncovered during their engagements across the state.

“Most of us here were constituted as members of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission. We gave our report in 2023; first presented at the House of Lords, and also presented to the Bayelsa State Government here in Creek Haven in October 2024, and then presented to the wider public in Abuja,” she stated.

“In all of this, the Bayelsa State Government had given us the space and the support to provide our expertise and advice on how to deal with the challenge of the scourge of oil pollution in our state.

“When we presented our report based on the evidence that we gathered, having gone to all the LGAs in Bayelsa State, and spoken to indigenes and key stakeholders in Bayelsa, my colleagues and I, who were members of the expert working group, were quite traumatized at what we found in Bayelsa State, and we called our report an environmental genocide.”

Professor Engobo further disclosed that despite the decommissioning of the commission in November 2024, members of the working group resolved to continue advocacy and interventions aimed at addressing the environmental and health crisis in Bayelsa and the wider Niger Delta region.

She assured that the IWG would sustain collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government and other relevant organisations to mitigate the adverse effects of oil pollution and improve public health outcomes.

Responding on behalf of Governor Douye Diri, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr. Peter Akpe, described the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission Report as one of the most significant policy documents for tackling environmental hazards caused by decades of oil exploration activities in the state.

Dr. Akpe expressed appreciation to members of the International Working Group for their sustained partnership and commitment towards addressing the environmental challenges confronting Bayelsa.

He noted that the state government regarded the report not as a closed chapter but as a “living document” that would continue to shape policies and actions aimed at environmental remediation and improved healthcare delivery.

“Your visit is very significant. It is to buttress and consolidate the partnership that began with the Bayelsa Oil and Environment Commission. We are happy that the relationship has matured to this kind of sustained international platform of advocacy,” he said.

“We recall the presentation His Excellency, the Governor made in New York. We travelled from Bayelsa to New York because of the importance we attached to the Commission and all your activities.

“The Commission’s report remains one of our important documents, especially concerning the environmental condition of our state and the wider Niger Delta. For us, it is not a closed chapter; it is a living document whose recommendations must continue to guide concrete actions.”

The deputy governor also called on the Federal Government and international organisations to treat the environmental crisis in Bayelsa as a special case deserving urgent intervention and global attention.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Douye Diri administration to supporting ongoing environmental remediation efforts and enhancing healthcare services for affected communities.

“We can’t thank you enough for what you are doing already. We welcome your planned health research, interactions and engagements in the state. And we assure you that we are totally in support and we equally expect to see positive results from your work,” he added.

Members of the six-man International Working Group delegation included Dr. Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou of ODI Global UK, Professor Michael Watts of the University of California, Dr. Isaac Osuoka of York University, Canada, Professor Anna Zalik of York University, Canada, and Dr. Cautlin Strong of ODI Global, United Kingdom.

The visit further highlighted growing international concern over the long-term environmental and health implications of oil exploration in the Niger Delta, particularly in Bayelsa State, which has endured decades of pollution, ecological degradation and public health challenges linked to crude oil exploitation.

~ Hot News Reporters
Thursday, 28, May, 2026