In a bid to strengthen transparency, environmental responsibility, and community participation in oil asset divestment attempts in the Niger Delta, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), in collaboration with the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), MIIIDEEKOR, Social Action, HOMEF, Kebetkache, and SDN have announced plans to convene community town hall meetings on oil divestment and transition accountability in the Niger Delta.
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In a statement issued and signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society organisation said the initiative comes amid significant structural changes in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector driven by the divestment of onshore and shallow-water assets by international oil companies.
HEDA noted that major multinational firms including Shell, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Eni have been purportedly transferring or selling oil assets to indigenous operators as part of corporate restructuring and global energy transition strategies.
While the divestment trend presents opportunities for increased local participation in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, the organisation expressed concerns that host communities are left with unresolved environmental, economical and social liabilities. It warned that exiting companies could abandon oil spill sites, obsolete infrastructure, and outstanding liabilities without adequate remediation.
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The statement further explained that the process is guided by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and overseen by institutions such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. However, HEDA observed that affected communities often lack sufficient information about the divestment processes, their rights, and the responsibilities of both exiting and incoming operators.
Suraju stressed the need for inclusive platforms where host communities can express grievances and demand accountability. He noted that the town hall meetings, which build on HEDA’s 2024 engagements on the subject, would facilitate dialogue, promote awareness, and document community concerns relating to environmental justice, development, and energy transition in the Niger Delta.
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According to the civil group, the town halls will bring together a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives of the NUPRC, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, National Human Rights Commission, state governments, host communities, traditional rulers, youth and women leaders, civil society organisations, and the media.
The Port Harcourt session is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026, while the Yenagoa meeting will hold on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
