President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked companies in Nigeria’s extractive sector to adopt cleaner and more sustainable practices in line with global energy transition goals.
At the International Conference on Petroleum, Environment, Solid Minerals and Security (ICPESMS 2025) in Abuja, Tinubu stressed the need for a low-carbon pathway, circular economy practices and responsible community engagement.
Represented by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Kambari, Tinubu said extractive operations must evolve “from exploration to decommissioning” to reduce gas flaring, manage waste responsibly and restore degraded lands.
“Communities affected by resource extraction deserve fair compensation, biodiversity protection and a genuine commitment to remediation.
“Only through such measures can we build resilience, trust, and long-term prosperity,” he said.
Tinubu highlighted the role of shared responsibility and urged development partners, businesses, civil society, academia, the media and the citizens to work with the government in greening the sector.
“Together, we can transform Nigeria’s abundant resources into a platform for peace, stability, and inclusive growth,” he added.
The secretary to the government of the federation, Senator George Akume, who echoed the president’s message, described the extractive sector as a potential driver of economic transformation.
Akume, represented by Engr. Nadungu Gagare, however, warned that this promise could only be fulfilled through inclusive governance, transparency and strong collaboration among state institutions, the private sector and civil society.
“A stable and secure extractive sector is foundational to peacebuilding and national cohesion,” Akume said, stressing the risks posed by unsustainable resource extraction, environmental degradation and community discontent.
In his welcome remarks, the chairman of the Petroleum, Environment and Solid Mineral Degradation Awareness Association (PESMDAA), Robert Adah, said communities nationwide have been suffering the consequences of mismanaged extraction.
“From Sokoto to Lagos, Maiduguri to Port Harcourt, the cry is the same,” Adah said. “For every blessing, there is a burden, and in our case, the burden has been degradation and economic mismanagement.”
He said PESMDAA was committed to helping states improve their internally-generated revenue while ensuring the federal government benefits from resource extraction without harming local communities.
In her goodwill message, the permanent secretary of the Ecological Project Office (EPO), Dr Aishetu Ndayako, reaffirmed her office’s commitment to erosion control, flood management, and environmental restoration.
Represented by the director of Solid Erosion and Flood Control, Eluma Garba, she said collaboration with civil society groups such as PESMDAA was critical to ensuring sustainable utilisation of natural resources.
“Together, we can safeguard our environment and strengthen community resilience in line with global best practices and Nigeria’s development goals,” she said.
