Nigeria is intensifying efforts to resume crude oil production in Ogoniland, signaling a potentially consequential shift in one of the country’s most sensitive and long-running oil disputes, as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) spearhead renewed peace and confidence-building engagements in the area.
Ogoniland, located in Rivers State and endowed with significant hydrocarbon resources, has remained largely shut to oil exploration and production for decades following environmental devastation, community resistance, and the political fallout from the execution of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders in 1995.
Despite its resource wealth, the area has symbolised the deep mistrust between oil companies, the Nigerian state, and host communities in the Niger Delta.
However, recent high-level engagements by the Tinubu administration appear to be rekindling prospects for a restart.
During a visit by a federal government delegation to Ogoniland on Monday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described the engagement as “a demonstration of hope” and a clear signal of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to rebuilding trust through dialogue and partnership.
“This visit affirms the commitment of the Federal Government to peace, dialogue, and rebuilding trust. For NNPC Limited, it marks a new beginning, one grounded in partnership, mutual respect, and shared responsibility,” Ojulari said.
His remarks underscore a shift in tone from earlier attempts to reopen Ogoni oilfields, which were often perceived by communities as extractive-driven and insufficiently attentive to environmental justice and livelihoods. Ojulari acknowledged Ogoniland’s “painful history,” noting that confronting the past was essential to shaping a different future.
He also praised the work of the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Re-entry, chaired by Professor Don Baridam, and the role of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in stabilising the area and building confidence among stakeholders.
NNPC Ltd was careful to frame its renewed engagement as extending beyond oil production. Ojulari said the company’s approach places “people, livelihoods, and the environment at the centre” of its operations, emphasising that energy development must align with environmental protection and community wellbeing.
As part of its confidence-building measures, NNPC announced that the process for the full-time employment of 30 Ogoni indigenes has reached an advanced stage, with employment offers already issued and resumption scheduled for January 2026. While modest in scale, the move is being presented as a symbolic step towards local inclusion after years of exclusion from the oil economy.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, said President Tinubu had made and begun to fulfil commitments aimed at improving living conditions in Ogoniland, including road construction and plans for a University of Environment, hospitals, an industrial park, and expanded employment opportunities.
“We were assured of confidence-building efforts, and as of today, 30 young men and women of Ogoni origin have already been employed by NNPC Ltd,” Fubara said, framing the developments as early dividends of sustained dialogue.
Representing President Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu linked the Ogoni engagement to broader improvements in peace and stability in Rivers State, describing it as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states.
“We are here today because of the Ogoni people, to thank them on behalf of Nigeria,” Ribadu said, crediting cooperation between the state government and local communities for addressing inherited challenges.
Previous attempts to restart oil production in Ogoniland have faltered amid fears of unrest, sabotage, and reputational risks. The involvement of the NSA suggests the federal government is keen to manage both security and political sensitivities as it weighs the economic benefits of reopening the oilfields.
Ogoniland sits within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, Nigeria’s largest onshore block, operated by NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL), an upstream subsidiary of NNPC Ltd. Ogoniland reportedly holds over 40 per cent of the block’s recoverable reserves, making it strategically significant at a time when Nigeria is struggling to sustain crude oil production and meet OPEC quotas.
