By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s extractive sector are set to converge in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the fifth edition of the National Extractives Dialogue (NED2026), with the organisers calling for environmental remediation to precede the divestment of oil assets by International Oil Companies (IOCs).
The two-day dialogue, scheduled for September 29–30, 2026, will focus on the theme, “Remediation Before Divestment and Energy Transition: Amplifying the Bille Environmental Crisis.”
The event is being convened by Spaces for Change (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.
More than 150 stakeholders from across the Niger Delta and beyond are expected to participate in the high-level, solutions-driven dialogue, including government officials, regulators, civil society organisations, host community representatives, academics and private-sector operators.
The organisers said the dialogue comes at a critical period when Nigeria’s extractive industry is undergoing a major structural transformation, characterised by accelerated onshore asset divestments by IOCs and the country’s push towards an energy transition.
However, they noted that the transition is taking place amid persistent environmental concerns in oil-producing communities across the Niger Delta.
At the centre of the discussion is Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, which hosts major oil assets, including Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 18 and 24.
According to the organisers, reports from affected communities and preliminary field observations point to persistent environmental challenges, including reported gas leaks allegedly affecting waterways, creeks, residential areas and agricultural livelihoods.
While technical assessments are ongoing, the people of Bille are awaiting the outcome of verified scientific investigations and immediate relief measures, including access to clean water.
The organisers stressed that resolving the crisis would require comprehensive technical source-tracing, stronger inter-agency collaboration and clear corporate accountability among the entities operating in the affected areas.
They argued that as Nigeria intensifies its drive towards energy transition and IOCs transfer onshore assets to domestic operators, concrete measures must be put in place to prevent historical environmental liabilities from being transferred to host communities.
The NED2026 organisers therefore maintained that responsible decommissioning, environmental remediation and effective inter-agency coordination must precede oil asset transfers and energy transition plans.
They warned that without such safeguards, communities could be left to bear the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of decades of extractive activities.
Since its inception, the National Extractives Dialogue has provided a platform for examining challenges in extractive governance in Nigeria and the wider West African region.
Previous editions, according to S4C, have contributed to community-led action, regulatory reforms, increased visibility for marginalised voices and broader public discourse on accountability in the extractive sector.
The 2026 edition is expected to build on that legacy by moving beyond identifying problems to developing concrete strategies for reform and accountability.
Unlike conventional conferences, NED2026 is structured as a grassroots community conference, providing members of Bille and neighbouring riverine communities with an opportunity to directly engage regulators, industry operators, security agencies and civil society organisations.
The organisers said the platform would enable affected communities to demand transparency and seek greater accountability from both government and corporate actors over environmental liabilities associated with extractive activities.
In a statement by Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, The Executive Director, S4C, said:” the event is expected to place the Bille environmental crisis firmly on the national extractive governance agenda while generating actionable recommendations on environmental remediation, responsible divestment, decommissioning and Nigeria’s energy transition.
