The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called on the federal government and multinational oil companies to accelerate the clean-up and remediation of the polluted environment along the coastal water lines in the Niger Delta.
YEAC-Nigeria executive director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, made the call in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to mark the World Oceans Day 2026, with the theme “Reimagine: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean.”
Fyneface stated that the call was in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland (2011) and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission report (2023).
He also called for support and funding for the community-led marine protected areas initiatives, including mangrove planting to protect biodiversity and restore fish stocks.
The statement reads, “YEAC-Nigeria calls on stakeholders, including the Federal Government, NDDC, NOSDRA, HYPREP, and international and indigenous oil companies, to:
“Accelerate cleanup and remediation of polluted coastal waters in line with UNEP’s Report on Ogoniland (2011) and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission Report (2023) recommendations.
“Support and fund the community-led Marine Protected Areas initiatives, including mangrove planting to protect biodiversity and restore fish stocks as well as strengthen monitoring and penalties for oil spills and marine litter to protect ocean health for future generations.
“Implement a Niger Delta Modular Refinery and Livelihood Transition Plan to replace illegal refining with legal, safe, and environmentally compliant alternative livelihoods.
“Support and institutionalize PACORDI as a multi-stakeholder platform legalizing artisanal refineries, tackling organised crime and pollution in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
“We urge all citizens, civil society organizations, and the media to use today to #Reimagine our relationship with the ocean. Protecting the ocean is protecting our future.”
