SENATOR NATASHA QUERIES OYETOLA ON NIGER DELTA OIL SPILLS, BLUE ECONOMY POLICIES
Read Time:2 Minute, 15 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday came under intense scrutiny at the National Assembly as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the Federal Government over its response to decades of oil pollution threatening Nigeria’s marine environment and blue-economy aspirations.
The exchange took place during a joint budget defence session of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and relevant House of Representatives committees, where lawmakers assessed the ministry’s readiness to balance economic exploitation of marine resources with environmental sustainability.
Raising the issue, Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted the long history of oil spills in the Niger Delta, questioning the effectiveness of government policies aimed at remediation and environmental protection.
“Since 1958, Nigeria has suffered over 7,000 oil spills. One would have thought that, with the number of policies implemented, this would have become a thing of the past,” she said.
She noted that despite some cleanup efforts, the Niger Delta region has remained severely impacted, with farmers and fishermen bearing the brunt of environmental degradation.
The senator further queried the level of engagement between the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and international oil companies (IOCs), particularly multinational operators, in ensuring compliance with cleanup obligations in affected coastal communities.
“My question to you, Honourable Minister, is this: how have you, in your capacity as Minister of the Blue Economy, engaged the various IOCs, especially Shell, to ensure that oil-spill cleanup activities in the region are actually carried out?” she asked.
Emphasising the connection between environmental health and economic sustainability, Akpoti-Uduaghan warned that persistent pollution poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s marine-based development agenda.
“The success of a thriving green-economy initiative is intricately linked to the condition of our waters, waste systems and oceans,” she added.
Responding, Oyetola said responsibility for oil-spill remediation lies primarily with the Federal Ministry of Environment, while acknowledging the need for collaboration among government agencies.
“With regard to oil spillage, it is essentially an environmental matter and falls under the purview of the Ministry of Environment. However, it is not out of place for us to synergise with the Ministry of Environment,” the minister said.
His response highlighted the overlapping mandates within Nigeria’s environmental governance framework, where marine protection, pollution control and coastal resource management are shared across multiple ministries and regulatory bodies.
The Niger Delta, long plagued by oil exploration-related pollution, remains central to the debate, as unresolved environmental damage continues to affect livelihoods and ecosystem health.
Tuesday’s session formed part of the National Assembly’s ongoing scrutiny of budget proposals for ministries and agencies in the marine transport sector ahead of the 2026 fiscal year.
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