Environmental group, Spaces for Change (S4C), has called for coordinated, evidence-based action to address toxic gas emissions and environmental damage in Bille community, Rivers State.

Residents have reported persistent foul odours, prolonged gas leaks, bubbling water sources, suspected water contamination and explosions. Fishing and farming activities have also declined, resulting in significant livelihood losses.

Women and young people have reported health complaints, including chest pains, skin irritation, boils and fainting episodes among children, which they associate with the unfolding crisis.

Speaking on the issue, S4C Executive Director, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, warned that delays in remediation could trigger a humanitarian crisis. She said Nigeria’s extractive-sector transition should be measured not only by changes in ownership, production or energy sources, but also by how environmental liabilities are managed, affected communities protected and damaged ecosystems restored.

She spoke after a dialogue organised by S4C in partnership with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), with support from the Ford Foundation.

The forum, titled “Remediation Before Divestment and Energy Transition: Amplifying the Bille Environmental Crisis,” examined the environmental, public health and livelihood implications of the situation, as well as liabilities arising from petroleum asset transfers.

Ibezim-Ohaeri said the dialogue acknowledged NEITI’s commitment to transparency, NOSDRA’s efforts to strengthen environmental monitoring and liability clearance, and the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities’ commitment to facilitating dialogue and policy follow-up.

According to her, the communiqué issued after the meeting called for remediation obligations to be assessed, disclosed, financed and addressed through enforceable arrangements before petroleum assets are divested.

It also stressed that investigations must lead to concrete action on risk management, remediation and accountability, with priority given to public health, access to safe water, livelihood recovery and ecosystem restoration.

Participants called for transparency and meaningful community involvement in resource governance, noting that Nigeria’s energy transition must address inherited environmental liabilities alongside future climate and energy objectives.

They urged authorities to prioritise emergency preparedness and protect public health and livelihoods while investigations continue. The dialogue also advocated greater use of satellite surveillance, gas-leak detection, emissions tracking and environmental fingerprinting technologies to identify pollution sources and strengthen investigations.

Ibezim-Ohaeri said these measures required clear institutional responsibilities, effective enforcement and stronger regulatory oversight of environmental monitoring, technical investigations, spill response and restoration.

Participants further warned that poor decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure could encourage illegal refining, underscoring the need for effective oversight and responsible management of petroleum assets throughout divestment and the energy transition.