Bid for Local Oilfields, IYC Urges Niger Delta Governors

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has called on state governors in the Niger Delta region and regional stakeholders to take direct action by bidding for oil blocs and marginal fields before more assets are allocated to outsiders.

This is as it has warned an indigenous oil firm, Seplat Energy over its alleged continued disregard for the rights and lawful entitlements of the Ibeno host community in Akwa Ibom State.

IYC secretary general, Maobuye Nangi-Obu, a stakeholders meeting organised by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) in Port Harcourt, attended by host community representatives from Rivers, Abia and Imo States.
Nangi-Obu stated that host communities in the Niger Delta were being systematically excluded from the governance of oil resources extracted from their land.

At the heart of his address was the recent slating of approximately 25 marginal oil fields for allocation — fields located within Niger Delta host communities but reportedly being assigned to individuals and entities from outside the region.

He stated that marginal fields are oil deposits that have been adjudged uneconomical by major operators but are often viable for smaller, indigenous companies, pointing out that their allocation has historically been a flashpoint in the region’s long-running grievances over resource control.
“I expect it is time for the Rivers State government to form oil companies that can bid for the marginal fields within Rivers State. They sit in Abuja and decide what happens in our region, and we are not part of the oil governance of our region,” the IYC secretary said.

He warned that host communities faced an additional, less visible threat in the form of directional drilling — a technique that allows operators to extract oil from beneath one location while drilling from a distant site.

Nangi-Obu said: “There could be oil wells here, and somebody can be somewhere in Yenagoa drilling the oil without you knowing.”

He also criticised the continued practice of gas flaring across the region by both international oil companies and indigenous operators, citing the absence of adequate gas processing infrastructure in host communities as an unresolved injustice.

Despite the pointed critique of the broader industry, the IYC scribe singled out PINL for praise, describing its stakeholder engagement model as an example others should follow.

“Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited is doing the right thing to engage stakeholders from the region. We are not here to cast aspersions against other companies, but not all of them are doing what PINL is doing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the IYC has condemned the failure of Seplat Energy to comply with key national legislations, including the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (2010), the Public Procurement Act (2007), and Presidential Executive Order 5 of 2018.
The council, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by its eastern zonal chairman, Prince Datolu Sukubo, said such pattern raises serious concerns about corporate responsibility and adherence to regulatory standards.
The statement reads in part: “We condemn the company’s failure to comply with key national legislations, including the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (2010), the Public Procurement Act (2007), and Presidential Executive Order 5 of 2018.

“This pattern raises serious concerns about corporate responsibility and adherence to regulatory standards.

“It is unacceptable that the people of Ibeno, host to the strategic Qua Iboe Terminal continue to face exclusion in employment, economic opportunities and human capital development. Despite their contributions to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, they remain sidelined in operations that directly affect their community.

“Following the divestment of assets by ExxonMobil to Seplat Energy, expectations for improved community relations have not been met. Of particular concern is the removal of “Ibeno” from the official signage of the Qua Iboe Terminal, an action viewed as a disregard for the identity and historical relevance of the host community.

“The IYC maintains that the identity of Ibeno as host community is non-negotiable and must be duly recognized at all times.

“We also express concern over the arrest and detention of the IYC Chairman of Ibeno Clan and other youth leaders following a peaceful protest. Such actions raise questions about the protection of fundamental rights and the handling of legitimate community concerns.”