By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
There were 4,919 oil spills in Nigeria between 2015 and March 2021, Environment Minister Mohammad Abubakar disclosed at a town hall on Protecting Oil And Gas Infrastructure in Abuja, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.
The country also lost about N4.75 trillion in oil activities in the four years from 2015 to 2018, as estimated by the Nigeria Natural Resources Charter (NNRC).
Several statistics show Nigeria as the most guilty country in the world for oil spills costing it about 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), next is Mexico which loses between 5,000 and 10,000 bpd, Abubakar said, per the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Information Minister Lai Mohammed disclosed at the town hall that Abuja spends N60 billion yearly to repair and maintain vandalised oil and gas pipelines.
Abubakar added that attack on oil facilities has replaced agitation in the Niger Delta against poor governance and neglect.
Environmental effects
“Now the environmental effect, which is the major concern of the Ministry of Environment, is in the loss of revenue,’’ Abubakar stressed, per Vanguard, quoting NAN.
“Attack on oil facilities has become the innovation that replaced agitations in the Niger Delta region against perceived poor governance and neglect of the area.
“The impacts of vandalism of oil facilities have not only caused pollution of the environment but had consequences on the local people, the national economy and security.”
According to Abubakar, oil exploration and exploitation have caused alterations to the environment but some of its effects have been reduced or prevented.
He said mitigation measures have been taken, including enforcement of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act which reduces negative effects and enhances positive effects on the ecology, health, and wellbeing of host communities.
“It is in the light of this fact that over 1,300 oil and gas projects in Nigeria have been subjected to EIA process under the supervision of the ministry.”
Raising public awareness
Abubakar disclosed that the ministry holds interactive sessions with oil and gas operators, focuses on environmental degradation, fatalities, and loss of revenue caused by vandalism of oil facilities, particularly pipelines.
He stressed that destruction of oil facilities causes huge economic losses from pipelines to plant shut downs, as well as loss of biodiversity, habitat, ecological damage, and soil degradation which affects crop yield and food security.
“Also, increase in air pollution and the attendant climate change issues, public health impacts on affected communities, social impacts and loss of livelihood, supremacy among militants, casualties, among others.
“Oil pipeline vandalism over the years has been one of the major factors contributing significantly to environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region, which accounts for about 70 to 80 per cent of our oil and gas sector that drives the economy.”
Abubakar recommended raising awareness on the negative consequences of vandalism of oil facilities and other illegal activities.
He said awareness should be accompanied by development schemes for oil communities such as skills acquisition and provision of infrastructure and amenities by oil firms and government agencies.